Carpe Noctem
by Squillyfer
Summary: Everything seems great for Booth and Brennan. They have the perfect career, the perfect relationship, the perfect life. However when old faces return and the pair land the case from hell their lives become far from perfect. COMPLETE
1. In omnia paratus, Ready for anything

**Hi guys I'm back, this is pretty much a sequel to carpe diem but although I'd advise it : ) you shouldn't need to read carpe diem to follow this. To those of you who have read the carpe diem thanks for reading and you have no idea how hard it was to come up with a whole new bunch of Latin phrases lol : ) Here's part 1, not sure when I'll update again but I'll try to be as quick as I can. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones but the plot is mine **

**Carpe Noctem**

**Summary: Everything seems great for Booth and Brennan. They have the perfect career, the perfect relationship, the perfect life. However when old faces return and the pair land the case from hell their lives become far from perfect. Can the pair combat the lies and betrayal and learn who to trust before it's too late and they lose someone close to them or will babies, baddies and bickering make the pair wonder whether or not their perfect life is worth the fight?

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**Chapter 1**

**In omnia paratus - Ready for anything. **

Temperance Brennan sat up slightly and rested her head on her hand as she leaned on her elbow and stared down at her sleeping lover. She smiled as his eyelids twitched gently as he dreamed and wondered if she was in his thoughts. She half wanted those eyes to open so she could stare into the chocolate box eyes, the exact colour and shade of which she had ingrained on her memory.

His hair was tousled from sleep and...other things and she blew softly to brush it away from the soft expanse of his face. She shuffled closer to him, feeling that she could never be close enough, and as she did the white cotton sheet that covered the pair slipped slightly revealing the smooth planes of his chest. Her eyes flicked over the column of his neck before drifting back to his face, only to be startled from her reverie by the sound of his voice.

'Is there something you want or are you just going to stare?'

He grinned and his eyes inched open. He glanced at the clock behind her and panicked at the flashing neon time of 9:15 before remembering it was Sunday. He leaned forward to kiss her soundly and as their mouths met he remembered why he loved Sundays so much. It was the one day of the week they had just for each other. Their working week being so full and exhausting being the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend was often difficult and then on Fridays and Saturday morning they had to face the things they had unintentionally neglected during the week: he had Parker and church; she had publishing meetings and forced shopping trips with Angela. Saturday night was occasionally spent together and then there was Sunday, the day of rest.

No matter how hard the week had been or whatever else was going on Sunday was their day. He loved waking up next to her, that was his favourite part of Sundays. He loved waking up to find her looking at him, like today, or sleeping silently beside him.

He leant up on his arm much as she had done minutes earlier and stared down at the woman below him. He was always fascinated by her and moments like this. To most she was a professional, the world renowned anthropologist and author but looking at her now as she lay smiling and flushed from their kiss beneath him he saw her for what she was: a beautiful talented woman who was vibrant and full of life despite the time she spent with the dead. He saw the woman he loved.

'You know I love you right?'

'Well I thought I did but maybe you should run it by me once more before I make an informed decision.'

She grinned and he crushed his lips to hers once more, whispering against her soft mouth.

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

That was her favourite thing about Sundays. She loved being able to tell him how she felt without looking over her shoulder or worrying who was listening. Their relationship was hardly a secret, after all most people had seen it coming long before Temperance and Seeley had themselves but discretion was important to both of them. So far nothing had been said but both were silently dreading the day someone would do something other than congratulate them on their relationship. They had been together nearly six months now and had so far managed to keep their personal and private lives separate but both of them knew there was only so much you could do when you spent as much time together as they did.

That was the real reasons for Sundays, that was also the reason for her apartment. She could no longer remember a time when she wanted to go to sleep and wake up next to anyone other than Seeley but she still had her rules, her unspoken safety mechanisms, and she never spent more than four nights a week at his place and vice versa. Her apartment gave her space, it let her keep part of herself isolated, allowed her to keep that last little part of herself she was as of yet unable to give up to him.

She had once told him that losing that last part of herself to him scared her more than anything else in the world but now, laid in his bed whispering words of devotion to each other he smile faded slightly as she realised that was wrong. What she was most scared of wasn't that she'd lose that last little bit it was that she'd never be able to give herself completely to him and he'd never quiet have everything he deserved.


	2. Cepi corpus, I got the body

**Ok I just have to say a big sorry for the delay but I've had a bit of writers block and its taken me ages to come up with a case and then do the necessary research but I think I have a good one now :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first part.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones**

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**Part 2**

**Cepi corpus - "I got the body"**

Monday morning came all too quickly and with it a new body arrived at the lab. Brennan shuffled the papers on her desk as Booth stood calmly in front of her going over the case details.

'Her name's Deborah Kern, 32 years old, born in Seattle but moved here eight years ago with her husband, who coincidentally by all accounts worshipped her. They had two kids, both girls, aged 6 and 4. She went missing just over three weeks ago. She was supposed to working late before meeting her husband at home but never arrived...'

'Sorry for interrupting but if you have an ID then why do you need me, and if this is just a simple missing persons then why are the FBI involved?'

'I need you to confirm identification, we only think it's her because that's what the killer told us and forgive me for not trusting a killer.'

'Well can't the crime lab do that?'

'They were doing to start with, they've had the body for three days and all they could tell me was that it was a suspicious death but then they ran into...shall we say difficulties. Besides Bones, I need the best on this.'

She smiled a little at the open compliment.

'And it's FBI because...?

'It's FBI because she was a judge.'

'Ok firstly it hasn't been confirmed as a homicide just yet so don't jump the knife...'

'Gun.'

'Whatever. Secondly what do you mean the killer told you?'

'Well Bones if you get out there and take a peek at the remains you'll see wont you.'

'Why Seeley Booth are you trying to tell me what to do?'

He flashed her a smile.

'I wouldn't dream of it Temperance.'

She rolled her eyes then finally relented and forfeited the silent game they had been playing as she stepped out of her office and walked up onto the platform to examine the remains as curiosity got the better of her. She glanced round quickly for Zach before remembering her was off sick and resided herself to a quiet day of working alone. Luckily for her, as the highest ranking 'squint' in the department, menial tasks such as unpacking remains were long behind her (even if it was something she'd rather do herself) and the remains had been neatly laid out on the examination table by one of the new lab assistants. She swept her eyes the heavily decomposed remains in front of her then tuned to Booth and shook her head, the faint trace of a smile gracing her lips.

'How long did you say the crime lab had the remains?'

'Three days, why?'

'And they didn't give you a cause of death?'

'No.'

'Then I suggest that advise a work evaluation for each and every one of them. She was strangled.'

'You've had the body like two minutes.'

'Yes, and she has one of the most obvious cases of severe hyoid fractures I've seen in a while.'

Booth smiled. _That's my girl._ He watched as she stood over the remains again, paying new attention to the skull and a frown appeared on her face. He waited, knowing what was coming.

'Have you...?'

He grimaced a little.

'Yeah that's where the crime lab got stuck too.'

Brennan leaned closer, pushing aside what little soft tissue and hair was left and stared down at the evidence Booth had been referring too. There etched into the smooth creamy bone of the skull was the clear and obvious message from the victims' killer:

**_Deborah_**

**_4514_**

'What do the numbers mean?'

Booth sighed, obviously already wearisome of the case.

'I was rather hoping you could tell me that Bones.'

They looked at each other; this was not going to be an easy case.

* * *


	3. Vox clamantis , The voice of one,,,

**Sorry for the big delay, I had an unanticipated trip back to research land so it took a little longer than I thought. Just wanted to say thanks to all of you who replied to the last part, no correct guesses yet on what the numbers mean but keep your ideas coming **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones**

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**Part 3**

**Vox clamantis in deserto - The voice of one shouting in the desert / the voice of one crying in the wilderness **

'Morning Bones, what you got for me?'

Temperance glanced up to see Booth striding into the lab and smiled genuinely happy to see him.

'Morning Booth, I'll let Zach tell you our findings.'

The young doctor before her seemed to stutter slightly before turning to Booth and reeling off his facts.

'Well we're pretty sure it is Debbie Kern, the information matches we just need to do a dental check. We've put age at somewhere between 30 and 35, the body is obviously female and whoever it was has had at least two children based on the degree of strain and widening of the pelvic canal.'

'That's great Zach but FBI forensics gave me all that, come on I know you have something else.'

'Dr. Brennan was correct in her original assessment and together we've been able to positively determine the cause of death as strangulation.'

Brennan jumped in.

'I'm pretty sure it was ligature strangulation as opposed to manual strangulation.'

'Meaning...?'

'Meaning some kind of ligature was used; normally it would mean something like a piece of rope or a shoelace, maybe wire. Its something you'd usually see in suicides.'

'But in this case...?'

'This wasn't suicide; even without the bone markings we can be sure of that. The fracture pattern of the hyoid shows that the bone was compressed from the back of the neck. In suicide hangings the bone is more likely to break completely or shatter from the sudden blunt force to the front of the bone rather than the fracture we find here. She was strangled by someone else and whoever it was was stood in front of her applying an even pressure for a relatively short period of time.'

'Any idea what was used?'

'We're having trouble being precise, all I can tell you is that it wasn't even and it was thin. If it was rope then it was twisted.'

'But you don't think it was rope do you?'

She smiled at his intuition.

'It's my professional opinion that based on our calculations any rope used to strangle the victim would have been too thin to exert the required force on her neck without snapping.'

'Ok. What about the markings?'

'We have no idea what the numbers mean, even Hodgins doesn't know. What I can tell you is that the marks were made with a number 11 scalpel blade.'

'Common?'

'Fairly. In medicine its used for delicate cutting but its also the scalpel blade most often used for crafts, you could probably find it in any number of craft stores in the D.C. area.'

'Great so we're either looking for a psycho surgeon or a crazy card maker.'

'Nice use of alliteration.'

'Thanks, I thought so.'

The pair both smiled and Zach felt suddenly left out, compelling him to interrupt the 'moment'.

'So what now?'

Booth turned to the young doctor.

'Now I go tell my boss that unfortunately for us a high court judge with a perfect family has been murdered and then me and Bones go out and find whatever piece of dirt did this.'

'Oh'

Booth almost laughed at him but didn't, instead turning to his partner.

'Have you got the prelim' case report Bones? Sooner I get it to Cullen the better.'

'Sure it's in my office. Zach, are you ok to put the remains away while I just do this?'

Her former student nodded and Brennan turned in the direction of her office, Booth close behind. She moved over to her desk to pick up the cream folder and was surprised by Booth as he circled his arms gently around her and nuzzled gently at her neck.

'Booth.'

Her tone was reprimanding but the shiver of her skin gave her away. He kissed a path to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

'I missed you last night.'

They had spent Monday night apart. He'd been frustrated with the lack of information on the new case and she'd been weighed down with a weekends worth of neglected paperwork. At the end of the day all either one of them had really wanted to do was go home and sleep.

'I missed you too.'

She turned and settled into his arms, her head resting gently above the steady thud of his heart. He spoke again, his voice a whisper of promise and want all at once.

'Come tonight?'

'I don't know Seeley...the case.'

He stroked her hair.

'Just for dinner, please, for me?'

He'd said the magic words and she leaned back slightly to give him a small smile and a quick kiss.

'Ok but I can't be late tomorrow; I still have to finish the release forms from last week.'

'Ok...'

He stopped, his eyes fogging with something she didn't recognise as he looked at her. He seemed to move to say something before stopping as the sound of his phone filled the relatively small, or as she would call it: cosy, office. He reached for it and glanced at the caller display but didn't answer it. Eventually the ringing stopped.

'Look Bones, I've got to go we'll...we'll talk later.'

He gave her a quick kiss and was gone from the office leaving her confused.

_Talk about what?_

Then he phone rang and she snapped out of her thoughts to answer it. She leant down and carefully picked up the receiver...only to almost drop it again when she heard the voice on the other end. And all of a sudden Temperance had a lot more to worry about than what Booth wanted to discuss.

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**There you are. All thoughts are welcome; in fact they're encouraged lol. Coming up: The killer strikes again, leaving a second cryptic message and who was on the phone?**


	4. In medias res, Into the middle of things

**Ok sorry for the massive delay, I've been suffering from writers block lately and I'm trying to start another fic too and with exams soon my time is a bit divided but it should get better from now on.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones

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**Part 4**

**In medias res - Into the middle of things**

_'Please Temperance, I need your help, just think about it.'_

_Temperance put down the phone and stared out into the office in disbelief and shock._

_Oh God._

Tap, tap, tap.

_What am I going to do?_

Tap, tap, tap.

_I wonder what it is?_

Tap, tap,tap.

_Should I help?_

Tap, tap, tap.

_Why me?_

Tap, tap, tap.

_Why now?_

Tap, tap, tap

_What would Booth say?_

Tap, tap, tap.

_Oh God, Booth._

The pen Temperance had been flicking rhythmically against her desk flew across the room and bounced off of the wall, rolling across the office floor and coming to rest beneath the sofa as her concentration lapsed. She rubbed at her eyes and looked up from the worn patch of desk she had been staring at for the last three quarters of an hour. She'd told Angela she was going to work on her book but the file lay unopened on her computer. Outside she could hear the rest of the lab busy at work and knew she should join them but couldn't bring herself to do so.

She needed time to think, she needed time to get everything straight in her head, she needed time to figure out what the hell she was going to tell Booth. Right now she could only think that it wasn't fair. Yet again just as things were going right for her the world had come crashing down and now she was once again struggling beneath its weight. The door opened and Temperance looked up, only to be met by the last person she wanted to see at that moment.

'Booth! I thought I wasnt going to see you until later.'

He looked suddenly apologetic.

'Yeah, about that...'

'What is it?'

'We have another body. There's marking on it, the same as Debbie Kern so...'

'So...?'

'So I was thinking we should probably...'

'Give tonight a miss to concentrate on the case?'

He smiled a little.

'Yeah. I'll make it up to you I promise, its just I have a bad feeling about this case, the sooner its over the better.'

'Its ok, I understand. So what condition is the new body in?'

She stood and stepped round the desk to grab her lab coat much as she had done the previous morning.

'Well lets put it this way, its definitely a case for you Bones.'

She frowned at him slightly.

'Today at around lunch a box was sent directly to the Hoover building. There was no personal address to say who it was for so admin decided they'd open it and find out. When they did they found a pile of bones inside. They ended up at Cullen who gave them to you and now I've brought them to you for you to do...whatever it is you do.'

He grinned but she just shook her head and stepped out into the lab and up to the platform where Zach, fresh and bouncy after a week off with the flu, was setting out the bones. Temperance knew she should remain impassive and conduct her examination as thoroughly as normal but she was only human afterall and gave into the temptation to go straight for the inscription.

**_Hannah_**

**_12728_**

Brennan wrinkled her nose lightly, frustrated that she herself had no idea what the significance of the name or numbers was before inhaling deeply and beginning her examination. The rest of the day was tedious, filled with frustration and irritation. It wasn't until later that night as she lay alone in bed that Temperance realised that in the rush of the day she had completely forgotten to tell Booth about her phone-call with Cam...


	5. Haud ignota loquor, I speak not of ,,,

**Don't blame me for the delay; blame my French teacher and the GCSE syllabus lol. I'm trying to get better at updating though and once the story begins to move at a quicker pace it'll be easier for me to update sooner. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, it means a lot to me,**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Bones**

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**Part 5**

**Haud ignota loquor - I speak not of unknown things**

It was the following morning and the case was not looking any better. Although it had been confirmed that the two women had both been mutilated by the same knife and therefore presumably the same person, neither Booth nor Brennan had any clue as to what the mysterious numbers meant. Brennan was still pondering this when Booth entered her office at 9:00 am bearing coffee and bagels.

'Morning Bones, figured you'd probably skipped breakfast so...'

He gestured to the bagels. She smiled and shook her head. He knew her too well.

'Thanks Booth.'

She kissed him quickly and he smiled.

'You're more than welcome.'

'So what's the plan for today?'

'I've arranged for us to go and see Deborah Kern's family.'

'Oh'

Interviewing victim's families always came as a mixed blessing for her and she never really knew how to feel about it. Anthropologically speaking evaluating how the human species deals with the death of a loved one and observing the various mental patterns and grief mechanisms that they shared was fascinating for her but on a personal level she struggled to think of a more awkward position or task than forcing a person to relieve the last time they had seen the deceased, making them relieve every harsh word, every stupid petty action, every mistake.

'Do you have anything for me on the second victim?'

'Nothing we didn't already suspect. I'm fairly convinced it's the same killer. I think the blades used were the same but I'd have to actually have the weapon to see if it was the actual same knife or if it was just the same brand. Cause of death is the same as before, ligature strangulation but I'm still not sure what with, me and Zach are going to run through some possibilities later.'

'Ok, that's great. ID?'

'Not yet, all I have is conformation that is a female aged 19 to 25 who's had at least one child but the skull was intact so Angela should have a name for us soon.'

He looked at her and she beat him to his next question.

'No I don't know what the numbers mean.'

He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

'I don't know either and neither do the profile unit, scene of crime department, half the FBI that I've asked already or the Jeffersonian cryptologist from upstairs.'

'You went to see Nancy Elliot?'

She wanted to laugh as an image of the eccentric middle aged woman popped into her mind.

'Yeah, it was a joy I can't wait to see her again, or the pictures of her three cats she affectionately called her 'babies'.'

This time Brennan did laugh as the sarcasm flooded the room. She grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and moved to the office door, a half eaten bagel still in her hand.

'Come on, let's get this over with.'

Booth nodded solemnly and the pair left the office.

* * *

Debbie Kern seemed to have been far more fortunate in life than she had been in death, or at least that was Brennan's opinion. The large picket fenced house before her suggested that Deborah's career as a high court judge certainly provided well for her and her family. Together Booth and Brennan walked up the block-paved drive towards the porch-way and Booth knocked on the door. Laughter and feminine screams could be heard from inside and the door opened slowly to reveal a grinning little girl. She looked up at Booth and Brennan before she turned, her hands still gripping the door handle, her cheeks tinted pink, her blonde pigtails swaying and shouted through the house behind her.

'DADDY!'

Moments later a man the pair presumed to be the girls father appeared from a room within the house. Another younger girl sat perched on his shoulders and clapped at the sight of her sister. The man smiled down at the girl at the door but his smile faded as his eyes settled on his visitors. Booth briefly flashed his badge as Mr. Kern lifted his younger child from his shoulders and turned yet again to his daughter at the door.

'Abbie honey, be a good girl and take your sister to play.'

Abbie looked up at her father, her glassy blue eyes shining with mild confusion.

''kay daddy.'

She grabbed her sister's hand and the pair skipped away through the house. Mr. Kern gestured for Booth and Brennan to enter before retreating towards the living room. Booth shared a glance with his partner before stepping into the house and closing the door behind them. They followed Mr. Kern into the living room and settled themselves on the sofa in front of him.

'You're here about Debbie then I presume?'

Up close Brennan could see the dark circles that ran parallel to his blood-shot eyes.

'Mr. Kern I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth and this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan. I assume you've been informed that we've found your wife?'

'Yeah, they, she, Karen, my liaison officer...she came round yesterday.'

'We understand that this must be a difficult time for you but we need you to answer some questions.'

'Again? I've been through this already; I told the police everything I know.'

'We understand that Mr Kern but the nature of your wife's case has changed and its necessary to go over the details again.'

'What do you mean 'changed'?

'I'm afraid I can't discuss that at the present moment in time but we'd be very grateful for your co-operation.'

Booths voice let him know there was no room for negotiation and the defeated man dropped his shoulders and sighed.

'Ok, what do you want to know?'

'Firstly, where were you on the night your wife disappeared?'

'I'd taken the girls to my parents. Debbie was working late so I figured it wouldn't hurt. I picked the girls up from their nanny at 5:30 like always and we got to my parents place about 6:15. We stayed for a few hours and then came straight home. The girls were in bed by about 9:00.'

'And your wife wasn't home when you put the children to bed?'

'No but that wasn't unusual. Even when she worked normal hours it was rare for Debbie to be home before half 9. You might think that strange, a woman with two young children who was never once home in time to read them a bed time story but it really isn't. Debbie loved her children Agent Booth; she just loved her work more.'

Booth gave the man a sympathetic nod whilst Brennan watched the exchange with interest, shuffling nervously in her seat.

'So, around what time was it when you realised something was wrong?'

'Around about 11:00. I tried to call Debbie but she didn't answer her phone. I called the office but no one answered there either, that's when I started to worry. I tried her cell a few more times but something just didn't feel right so I went next door and asked the neighbours Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins if they'd watch the girls for a while and I went to Debbie's office. The car was gone but when I looked through the window I saw Debbie's purse and cell were still on the table. That's when I called the police.'

'I know you've already answered this Mr. Kern but was there anyone who you think would have cause to hurt your wife, did she have any enemies?'

'Debbie was a judge Agent Boot I'm pretty sure she had a lot of criminals who didn't exactly like her but if your asking did she ever receive threats then no as far as I knew she didn't have any 'enemies'.'

'How about you, anyone that would want to hurt you, maybe use your family to do that?'

'No, not as far as I know.'

'Mr. Kern I have to ask was...'

Brennan grimaced as her phone vibrated in her pocket and buzzed loudly in the room.

'I'm really sorry, I have to take this.'

She swiftly left the room to take her call whilst inside the interview continued.

'I have to ask you, were there any problems in your marriage?'

'It was a marriage Agent Booth of course there were problems but I loved my wife and I'm convinced that she loved me. We were...we were going to try for another child in the spring. I always wanted a boy but we were blessed with Abbie and Megan first.'

As if on cue Abbie appeared in the doorway, a rag doll clutched in her hands, her eyes distant and sad.

'Daddy is mommy coming home soon?'

Booth watched as Tom Kerns heart slowly broke all over again. The man stood us and walked over to his daughter, kneeling down in front of her to tug at her pigtails.

'Not right now Abbie, not right now.'

The young girl stared at her father, innocence radiating from her.

'I hope she's back soon daddy, I miss her.'

'Me too baby, me too. Go play with Megan Abbie, daddy'll be there soon.'

He kissed the girl on her forehead and once again she skipped off to find her younger sister. Mr. Kern rejoined Booth at the sofa.

'They don't know do they?'

Booths tone wasn't accusing, rather sorrowful and sympathetic.

'Agent Booth, my daughters are four and six years old, they're happy. How do I ruin that, how do I tell them that their mothers been murdered?'

Booth didn't answer that question, they both knew he couldn't. He stood to leave.

'Before I go, does the number 4514 mean anything to you?

'No, sorry.'

'That's ok, thank you for your time, I'll see myself out.'

He stepped closer to the door.

'Agent Booth?'

'Yes?'

'Find whoever did this to my wife. I want them to pay.'

Booth nodded.

'I'll do my best.'

Silence drifted over the two men and Booth was hit with something he often felt when interviewing victim's families, a feeling that they were not all that different. At the end of the day it could just as easily have been Booth answering the questions.

'You will have to tell them eventually.'

Mr. Kern turned to him.

'Do you have children Agent Booth?'

'A son, he's five.'

'Then you know why I can't tell them yet.'

Booth nodded slowly and felt an immense surge of sympathy for the man before him who would very soon have to deliver the news that would break his children's hearts.

'Before

He said his goodbye's leaving the man to grieve and think through a future of raising his children alone. Brennan was waiting for him on the front porch.

'So, find out anything interesting?'

'Nothing the existing police reports don't tell us. What was your call?'

'It was the lab; they have an ID on our second victim. The remains belong to a Miss Hannah Sinclair.'

'So the markings were right again?'

'Looks that way.'

'Booth sighed looking at his watch.

'Come on, it's still early. We can get another family visit done today. Do you have an address?'

'No.'

'That's ok, I'll phone in for one, shouldn't take too long.'

Together the pair walked wearily back to the car, both with the same opinion in mind. This was going to be a long day.

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**Coming up: Brennan and Booth have their first lead and Booth has a proposition for Brennan. Also, what will Tempe do about Cam?**


	6. Non progredi , To not go forward,,,

**Ok, sorry this part has taken so long to get up, I've actually had it written for over a week now but the site wouldn't update and I had to do some asking around lol So I'm pleased to say this part comes to you courtesy of bandbfan24 (I owe you) and whatever bright-spark figured it out to start with. Thanks again for the reviews, they were all really great. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own bones **

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**Part 6**

**Non progredi est regredi - To not go forward is to go backward **

If Debbie Kern had been fortunate in life then Hannah Sinclair certainly hadn't been. The address Booth had been given had led the pair to a rather less appealing area of the city than the leafy suburbs of the family home. The building before them was shabby to say the least. Several broken windows had wooden boards nailed across them, a thick covering of green slime coated the wall from a space high up on the building where the drainpipe leaked and the rusted fire escape stairs at the side of the apartment block looked more dangerous than an actual fire would ever be.

Booth looked around and double checked that the SUV was locked before crossing the street, Brennan at his side. The pair attempted to ignore the looks the received as they entered the building; they'd both seen those looks before. They were authority and they looked it. They stood for something that the people of this particular neighbourhood would never have much respect for.

'Ok, we're looking for apartment 2B, it's on the second floor, and we're looking to talk to a Mrs Marcy Davis'

The pair sprinted up the stairs and found the apartment easy enough. It took just three knocks and shout from inside the apartment before the door flew open to reveal one Marcy Davis. The imposing middle-aged woman peered down at them, her dark skin paling in noticeably beside the orange caftan and red floor length skirt she wore.

'Whatever you're sellin' I aint' buyin''

She moved to close the door but Booth was quicker, placing his foot in the way and showing her his badge.

'Mrs Davis, I'm Agent Booth and this is my partner Dr. Brennan, we're working with the FBI and we need to talk to you about a Hannah Sinclair.'

Marcy's facial expression changed and the door creaked open.

'You'd better come in.'

She turned and Brennan and Booth followed her into the apartment. Marcy led the pair to the small living room where a young girl and an older boy sat playing on the floor.

'Evan, Cara, go down the hall and play and tell the others to be quiet for a bit, we got visitors.'

The two children on the floor both cast a glance towards Booth and Brennan before sharing a look, standing to leave.

''kay momma Marcy.'

Marcy settled herself in a chair close to the small window on one side of the room. Booth and Brennan followed suit.

'So, you're here to talk about Hannah aye?'

'That's right, this was her last address. If you don't mind me asking what was your relationship to Miss Sinclair?'

The robust woman's eyes clouded for a moment before she gave her answer.

'She was one of my first.'

Brennan frowned at the cryptic answer and moved to clarify.

'First what?'

'Hannah was my first foster child, that was ten years ago now. Hannah came to me when she was eleven. She'd been orphaned after a car crash that killed both her parents and she had no other family.'

Temperance felt an odd twinge of familiarity.

'I was new to fostering; they only gave me Hannah because no one else would take her. In truth she was an angel but she was hurting and it made her lash out at people, myself included, but she got over it, she grieved and she moved on and in the end me and Hannah couldn't be closer.'

'When was the last time you saw Hannah?'

'She left my care three years ago, moved up-town and I couldn't be happier. In case you haven't noticed this isn't the nicest of areas for a young family.'

'Family?'

'Yeah Hannah and her son.'

Booth and Brennan stared blankly at the woman who moved to explain.

'When Hannah was seventeen she became pregnant. Just before she left my care she gave birth to a son, Sam. They left here; Hannah said to make a better life for themselves.'

'And that was definitely the last time you saw her?'

'Yeah, she called a lot after that but I never saw her again, just lately however, nothing. I figured she's just gettin' on with her life, raisin' her son.'

Booth sighed.

'Mrs Davis I'm sorry to have to tell you this but Hannah's dead.'

Marcy's hand flew to her mouth and she let out a sharp sob.

'How...?'

'Its an ongoing investigation, I'm afraid I cant release any details.'

The woman sobbed again then straightened herself and seemed to straighten, almost smiling a little.

'Well in some ways she's where she belongs. Hannah was always better than this earth Agent Booth. She believed in the love of the lord Jesus Christ and now she's with him and all his angels, seated at his right hand to be blessed by the almighty God.'

She quickly crossed herself.

'Praise the lord. Amen'

'Amen.'

Brennan watched on quizzically as she wondered if Booth had replied merely out of instinct and reflex.

'Thank you for your time Mrs Davis, we'll be in touch if there's any news.'

The pair quickly saw themselves out and made there way back to the lab.

* * *

'Samuel Davis, born March 12th 2004. Mother: Hannah Davis Sinclair, Father: Unknown. Adopted: May 9th 2004'

'Adopted?'

'That's what the file says.'

'Why didn't we check this before?'

Angela looked at her friend rather indignantly.

'Because we weren't looking for it before.'

'Well why not, isn't it our job to find out everything about the victim?'

'It's not our job to identify the victim, we're just picking up FBI slack and you know it. I can't look for what's not in the file Brennan.'

'Well why wasn't it in the file, family relations normally are.'

'Because it wasn't a missing person's file I had to find her on the criminal records database. Look sweetie if you have a problem with how I work then...'

'I...'

'Ok that's enough.'

Booth stepped between the two women and turned to Brennan.

'Bones go take five in your office, you need to calm down.'

'Why should...'

'Temperance please, just go sit in your office, I'll be there in a minute.'

Temperance huffed before turning on her heel and stalking towards her office, slamming her door as she entered. Booth turned to Angela.

'She didn't mean it.'

'Sure felt like she did.'

'She's just stressed Ange, you know that. The whole fostering angle threw her a bit.'

'Yeah well Booth, be that as it may you'd better go calm her down cos she's no use to any of us like that.'

Booth ignored Angela's final comment and turned to follow the path his partner had taken moments earlier.

* * *

Booth entered the office to find Temperance on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her, her eyes focused on a random spot on the wall.

'That was a bit uncalled for Bones.'

'I know.'

She didn't look at him but at least he knew he had her attention.

'Then why'd you do it? Angela wasn't to know about the kid, she's right, that isn't her job, you know that.'

'I'm just tired, that's all. You know, there's a lot going on, with the case and...and stuff...'

_And __Cam_

'In that case now's probably not the right time...I was going to ask you tonight but...I thought that maybe...'

She looked up at him and he breathed deeply to halt his babbling.

'What I'm trying to say is that I was going to do this tonight when we had a more romantic setting and we were both a bit more relaxed but...Temperance, will you...will you move in with me?'

* * *

**There you are, that's it for another part. What do you think? Will Brennan move in with Booth? What's going on with the case? And what exactly does Cam want? **


	7. Errare humanum est, To err is human

**Thanks everyone who reviewed last time, yet again they were all great. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones **

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**Part 7 **

**Errare humanum est - To err is human **

It was Thursday morning and Temperance was once again sat at her desk, alone in the office. She was thinking about Booth and what he had asked of her. Move in. She tried to rationalise it. It made sense, it was better economically, it was a sign of commitment...it was a sign of commitment...it was moving in. Temperance sighed, it was too much to think about, it seemed to her as though everything was happening at once and she was beginning to feel increasingly out of control. A short knock at the door made her glance up.

'Come in.'

'Hi, I err...I just wanted to say that we're about to run through a simulation for the weapon used on the Kern/Sinclair case. Kinda figured you'd want to be there.'

'Sure, I'll be there in a minute.'

The visitor turned to leave but Temperance seemed to have a second thought and called after her.

'Angela!'

The dark-haired artist whirled round.

'I...I'm sorry, you know, for yesterday.'

Angela's face softened.

'It's ok Brennan.'

'No, no its not, I was tired and irritated and I took it out on you. You're great at your job and I was out of order.'

Angela walked closer to her friend's desk.

'Really, its ok, you were stressed, we both were, I get that but I am worried about you. You've not been yourself these past few days, something's on your mind I can tell it is.'

Temperance sighed. She had to tell someone.

'Booth, he err...He asked me to move in with him.'

'What? When was this? Have you given him an answer yet?'

Temperance smiled a little.

'He asked me to move in, yesterday and no.'

'What are you going to say?'

'I don't know. I want to move in, I really do but there's just something...something holding me back.'

'Well I don't know what, you'd be great living together. Think about it, it'd be like a life-long Sunday.'

'How do you know about Sundays?'

'Because every Monday for six months you've both come in grinning like a bunch of school kids that's how.'

'I don't know Angela, I mean what if it doesn't work out, we both need space, we're that kind of people and what if we end up resenting each other. If this doesn't work it could end our relationship.'

'And if it does work it could make it so much better. Why can you never see the positive side of things?'

Silence drifted across the room and Brennan looked at her friend, her face the epitome of seriousness.

'Ange, that's not the only reason I've been a little tense recently.'

Angela quirked her eyebrows in question.

'On Tuesday afternoon I had a call...from Cam.'

The artist was literally speechless as her friend looked at her as though she held all the answers to Brennan's current predicament.

' Cam, Cam, our Cam?'

'I wouldn't call her 'our' Cam would you?'

'After what happened, I didn't think we'd hear from her again.'

'Me neither but then out of the blue she just called, like I said Tuesday afternoon right here in the lab.'

'Does Booth know?'

'No, I was going to tell him yesterday and then he surprised me with the whole moving in this and I didn't know what to say.'

'You do know you have to tell him right.'

'I know I should but the words just wont come I out, I tried to tell him, I really did but I couldn't. I just kinda hoped it would all just go away, that she'd go away.'

'But...?'

'But when I got in this morning there was another message on my phone. She wants to see me, she wants my help.'

'After everything she did to you and Booth she's the last person with the right to ask you for help. You did tell her you wouldn't see her right?'

Temperance avoided her friends gaze and cast a glance around the room.

'I err kinda decided to go, and I'd hoped you'd come with me.'

'What! Why? After everything she did?'

'Because she needs my help and I need to know what she has to say. I need to know why she did what she did Ange, she left so quick I never got the chance to ask her. I need answers and she needs help and then once I know what she wants I never have to see her again.'

'But what could she possibly want your help for?'

'I don't know Angela, that's what I want to find out.'

Temperance watched as her friends shoulders slumped and Angela let out a long sigh. Temperance knew she had won.

'So you'll come?'

'Sure, on one condition.'

'What?'

'That you tell Booth.'

'Deal. So shall I pick you up tomorrow, if we leave early we can see Cam and still get back here in time to get some work done.'

'Ok'

Angela walked towards the door, turning only to ask her parting question.

'Where are we meeting her anyway?'

Temperance looked her friend in the eyes.

' Georgetown University Hospital, she's in hospital Ange.'

* * *

**There you go, that's another part finished. Please review, reviews make me happy, happy me may update faster lol. Coming up: Angela and Temperance go to see Cam.**


	8. Manus manum lavat, One hand washes ,,,

**Ok, so here's the next part. I'm not sure if I enjoyed writing this one or not but I like writing Cam so that was a bonus I suppose. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones **

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**Part 8**

**Manus manum lavat - One hand washes the other **

'So, you ready to go?'

'Yeah just a minute and I'll be with you.'

Angela hated morning but she had a feeling she was going to hate this one more than most. It was 8:15 and Temperance had been sat in the front room of her friends home for nearly ten minutes. The artist, who normally aimed to leave the house no earlier than 8:30 on principal, had still been getting ready when her friend had arrived.

'Ok, lets go.'

Angela slipped her shoes on and walked towards the door, an alarmingly enthusiastic Temperance already in the corridor.

'Come on Ange, I want to get this over with.'

'Ok, Ok, calm down already.'

'I'll calm down when this is all over and I never have to see or hear from Camille Saroyan again.'

The bitterness in Temperance's voice was well placed in Angela's opinion but something wasn't right.

'Wait a minute, did you tell Booth?'

Temperance looked away quickly and Angela had her answer.

'Tempe, you promised, we had a deal.'

'Yeah and I tried to tell him but he had Parker last night.'

'That isn't an excuse and you know it.'

'Does this mean you're not coming?'

Angela looked at her friends slightly forlorn expression and knew she was about to make a bad decision.

'Of course I'll come, you always knew I would. We're friends, and after all, someone has to stop you hitting Cam.'

Temperance smiled, although she was starting to think that maybe it would be her protecting Cam from Angela and not the other way round

Temperance couldn't help but think that you knew when your work had taken over your life when the smell of antiseptic and the sound of snapping latex gloves no longer disturbed you. Georgetown University Hospital shared its main traits with almost every other hospital in the country. It was clean, white and the epitome of clinical and just like every other hospital gave all its visitors the very distinct inclination to leave as soon as possible. For a moment Temperance wondered if she was doing the right thing, if it wouldn't be better to just walk away and never think of Camille again.

This brief notion flew from her mind as Angela placed a hand upon her arm and asked which ward they were looking for. Glancing at the small scrap of paper containing Cams scribbled instructions Temperance answered her and the pair moved towards the relevant staircase. As they reached Cams ward Temperance's determination began to waver but she carried on regardless. The pair must have looked slightly lost as an elderly ward sister approached then with a sickly smile and a fondness that was so abundant that Temperance was slightly disturbed.

'Can I help you my dears, you're looking a bit lost.'

Normally Temperance would have prickled at the thought of being anyone's 'dear' but there wasn't time, not today, in and out, that was the plan.

'We're looking for Camille Saroyan; we were told she was on this ward?'

'Ah yes, dear, sweet Cam, she's on the end the poor thing. Are you her friends?'

Angela and Temperance exchanged quick glances.

'I wouldn't go that far.'

The overly polite nurse didn't have a chance to look flustered or question Temperance's apparent rudeness as she and Angela stalked their way down the main corridor of the ward towards the side room at the far end.

'Here goes.'

Angela gave her friend a squeeze on the arm and an encouraging smile as Tempe's hand grasped at the door handle and entered the room.

'Hello Temperance, or would you prefer Dr. Brennan? We're not exactly friends so I'm not sure.'

Temperance was surprised at how much hearing Cams voice after all this time had surprised her, just the sound of the woman voice had produced a bubble of conflicting emotions inside of Tempe that she didn't want to feel.

'I suppose Temperance is fine.'

_Why did I say that? I normally insist on being Dr. Brennan, and she's right, she's no friend so why did I say she could call me Temperance? No one calls me Temperance._

Cam pushed herself back onto her pillows and Temperance took in her appearance whilst Angela continued to hover in the doorway. She didn't look very ill, at least no at first glance. It was only when you looked closer that the pale, unhealthy pallor of her skin stood out, it was only when you really looked that her eyes seemed duller than they had been and her hair less shiny and thick, it was only when you actually paid attention that you could see she was far thinner than she had been and the fact that she was in fact ill became glaringly obvious.

'To be honest, I was starting to think you wouldn't come. When you didn't return my phone calls...'

'We've been busy.'

Cam just nodded.

'Of course. How is the lab?'

Temperance found herself settling uneasily into the plastic chair beside Cams bed.

'The labs fine, we're all fine.'

Temperance knew she was being short and abrupt with the woman laying before her but in Temperance's opinion it was all Cam deserved.

'That's good, I'm glad. It'll sound odd but I've missed the lab. I've missed the people. I missed Zach bumbling over his explanations and I missed Jack and his ridiculous experiments.'

'Zach's fully qualified now, he's doing well and Jacks still experimenting but then that's never going to change is it.'

Cam smiled and Temperance wondered why she was talking to the other woman as though they were old friends. Was it because of their connection with Booth? Was it because of the dealings they had had together? Or was it simply because this was the only other person Temperance knew who could relate to the trivial complications and quirks occasionally involved with being in charge of the lab, of doing the work they do?

'No, I don't suppose it will.'

Cam tilted her head towards Angela who was still lingering in the doorway, unsure of why she was there, wishing she was at work and feeling very uncomfortable.

'And you Angela? How are you?'

'I'm fine...'

She turned to her best friend.

'Look Bren, I'm gonna go ring the lab to say we'll be late and I'll see you back at the car ok.'

For a second panic seized Brennan at the thought of being left alone with Cam but she quickly decided it was unfair to expect Angela to stay and nodded before Angela mumbled a goodbye to Cam and left the room.

'So how are you Temperance?'

'Like I said, I'm fine.'

'And you and Booth...?'

Cam froze, wondering if asking the withdrawn anthropologist about the man they had battled over was a step too far. Temperance looked her in the eye.

'I don't want to talk about Booth, I just...I just...Why am I here Cam?'

Camille sighed and shuffled in the bed.

'As you can see I'm not exactly in the best of health at the minute.'

'What's wrong with you?'

Cam almost smiled as she became re-acquainted with Brennan's bluntness. Almost.

'I have osteomyelitis.'

Temperance didn't move or flinch away but rather she finally felt a little more comfortable. They were speaking the same language at last. This was science. Science she could do, it wasn't emotions or feelings or loyalties. It was facts. It was bones.

'Where?'

'Left femur, that's why I'm stuck in this God forsaken bed.'

Brennan felt something she supposed was sympathy for the other woman but pressed on with her scientific curiosity.

'What strain do you have?'

'Staphylococcus aureus.'

'That's the most common form isn't it?'

Brennan was no expert when it came to medical ailments of the living but she did know her bones.

'Yes, I suppose I'm lucky in that sense. A long round of antibiotics and I'll be just fine.'

Temperance wasn't sure if she was supposed to be pleased about that so she just nodded and skipped the rest of the pleasantries.

'Look Cam, what has any of this got to do with me? We haven't seen you for six months so what do you want? Why now?'

'I've already told you, I need your help.'

Cams voice was calm but it made Brennan's blood boil. She wanted to shake the pale woman in front of her, to shake her out of her impassive attitude.

'But why, what do you need my help with?'

'Temperance I know I don't have any right to ask you for favours...'

'No you don't.'

'I know that what happened six months ago was a mistake and I'm ashamed of the way I acted. I know you'll probably never forgive me for what I tried to do and I probably don't deserve your forgiveness anyway.'

Temperance said nothing but found she couldn't look Cam in the eye.

'I know you and Booth are happy and that Booth is someone I'm not entitled to think about. I know what I did was wrong and I know I hurt him but you know what?'

'What?'

'I also know this isn't about Booth. It isn't about him, it isn't about you and it isn't about me.'

'Then who is this about?'

Cam gazed down at Temperance, a soft expression on her face, emotions finally flooding her previously empty eyes.

'It's about Toby.'

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**So, what do you think? Remember reviews feed the soul lol.**


	9. Solus ipse, I alone

**Hi, sorry for the huge delay. Since I last updated I've had my birthday, been on holiday and started my final high school exams. So as you hear its been busy, busy busy but I've finally found the time to get this next part out. Its not great but it was kinda difficult to write after such a long break and the evil curse commonly known as writers block J . I'll try my best to get the next part up asap.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

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**Solus ipse - I alone**

News of Toby Saroyan had reached Temperance, Seeley and the rest of the Jeffersonian almost eight weeks ago but the birth of their ex-co-workers son had not been an event the group had celebrated or welcomed with any particular sense of enthusiasm and after less than a week as the topic of office gossip, the information had simply disappeared from general circulation.

On a personal level each of the Jeffersonian team members had reacted differently to the news. Angela had done her duty as Brennan's best friend and, after keeping the news from Temperance for as long as humanly possible, had proceeded to call Camille every curse word her well travelled mind could think of. Hodgins, most likely in support of Angela, had taken a similar stance, and after an admirable effort at being flippant about the news he had disappeared back to his work station and had diplomatically failed to mention it again. Zack, for his part had simply been mostly confused at why the birth of his former boss's child wasn't being celebrated. His analytical mind knew just two things, 1: Cams sudden departure had had something to do with the upsetting behaviour and near departure of his beloved mentor Dr. Brennan almost four months ago and 2: Since Angela and Jack were not acting particularly pleased about the news it was probably socially acceptable for him to be dismissive of it too.

It had therefore unfortunately fallen to Temperance herself to break the delicate and volatile news of the baby to Seeley, who, although he protested he was fine about it, he had then proceeded to spontaneously decide that they really should celebrate their four month anniversary and the pair had spent the rest of the otherwise uneventful evening spending insulting amounts of money on food they couldn't pronounce the name of and expensive wine they probably didn't want to know the price of and with an alcohol content so high they probably wouldn't remember if they did. Suffice to say their evening numbed the impact of the news somewhat and, with the birth out of the way, the pair firmly believed that would be the last they ever heard of either Camille or Toby Saroyan. That was maybe why faced with the close proximity of one and the mention of the other Temperance was struggling to form a coherent sentence.

'Toby? I…er…I…I don't…'

Camille's serious expression never faltered as she spoke once more.

'I know you know about him Temperance so don't pretend you don't because I happen to know one of my midwives is best friends with Helen from finance who, last thing I knew, spends a fair few of her break times sharing gossip with Angela. And if I know anything about Angela its that keeping things from you isn't her forte.'

Temperance said nothing to confirm or deny Cams assumptions. The truth was she was both right and wrong. Angela had eventual shared the news with Temperance after procuring it from her regular gossip buddy who manifested herself in the form of Helen from finance who had, apparently, gathered the information from a very reliable source. However, the little known truth was that by the time Angela had plucked up the courage to share the news with her friend Temperance had already know of the birth for almost two days thanks to a revealing trip to view the births, deaths and marriage records in the interest of her and Booth's then-current case.

'Congratulations'

Cam gave a bitter laugh.

'Now I know that was a lie.'

Tempe smiled a little and she took a deep breath, her senses relaxing for a while as she sagged in her chair.

'I cant expect you to be happy for me Temperance, not after what I did but I…I'm a different person now. Toby's the best thing that's ever happened to me.'

Temperance found herself consumed by an odd sense of intrigue.

'What…what's he like?'

Cams face lit up, obviously thrilled at the opportunity to talk about her son.

'He's perfect. He has the biggest, brownest eyes and when he looks at you…well, like I said, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.'

'Where have you been all this time?'

'Here and there. I stayed with my sister for a while back in New York but that…erm, that didn't work out so now its just me and Toby. I have an apartment just off Third, right opposite the park. Its nothing special but its enough for the two of us.'

'And work?'

Cams expression wavered a little then settled back on content.

'I've had an advisory post at the coroners office for a couple of months now. Its not the most exciting or well paid position but its ok.'

'Do you miss it?'

'The Jeffersonion? Sometimes…I guess…sure I do. I mean the facilities were great and…and the people. It was interesting.'

'Maybe you could come back?'

Cam stared at her with a new intensity.

'Is that really what you want?'

__

Is it? Do I really want her back?

The inviting words had left her mouth before she'd even thought about them. Temperance thought back to the mixed feelings she had had when Cam had left and realised for the first time since she had entered the hospital that she hadn't actually seen Cam since she had found out what she had done, no one had. She ignored Cams question and skipped ahead to the question of her own that she had almost forgotten.

'So, what is this all about? What does this have to do with your son?'

Cam sighed knowing sweet-talk and polite conversations wouldn't last forever. Temperance was after-all, a woman of facts and logic.

'Temperance I never thought I'd be asking for your help but there's no one else. Bones are your speciality. You know osteomyelitis…'

'Its not my precise field…'

'Maybe not but you know well enough that I wont be going anywhere for a while.'

'What are you saying?'

'Three months Temperance. Three months of antibiotics, three months of hospital bed-rest and three months where I am going to be absolutely useless to my son. My parents live 5000 miles away, my sister wont even talk to me and any friends I did have here disappeared when I left. That's where you come in. I…I want you to look after Toby.'

'What!'

'I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't desperate. I know you'll take good care of him and it wont be for too long, I've already done nearly three weeks of antibiotics, another six weeks and I can probably convince them to let me continue the treatment at home. I just need someone to take him until then.'

'But surely…you cant…I…there must be someone.'

'There isn't. Please I know how much I'm asking but I don't have any other choice.'

'Cam I…I cant.'

Cam closed her eyes for a moment, she hadn't wanted to do this but she really didn't have any other option.

'Temperance, I mean it, there is no one else. If you don't take him then…then he'll end up in care. Two months of foster care. He's just a baby Temperance, I don't want him with strangers, people that could never care for him, not really.'

'I…I…I…'

The room was too hot, the air suddenly too clingy and Temperance was finding it difficult to breathe. When she had walked through the hospital doors, not thirty minutes earlier, this was not what she had expected. The last thing she had considered was that Cam wanted to give her her child, albeit temporarily.

'I…I need to think about this Cam.'

Cam let out a sigh.

'Of course, I understand but I do need to know soon. I've already had one visit from child services, I promised I'd have something sorted by the start of next week, if not then…'

'Its ok, I get it. I…I'll be in touch. I promise I'll think about it.'

Cam smiled weakly.

'That's all I can ask.'

And with those parting words Temperance left the room, the ward, the hospital and apparently her oh-so-perfect life behind her.

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**So, what did you think? All reviews appreciated lol**


	10. Pacta sunt servanda, Agreements must be

**Ok, sorry its taken a while and this parts not very long but I only have exams for another 3 or 4 weeks so after that I'm all yours and I promise to get on with this lol.**

**Disclaimer: If you don't know I don't own Bones by now then you really haven't been paying attention**

**Pacta sunt servanda - Agreements must be kept**

Seeley Booth was confused. He was stood inside the Jeffersonian medico-legal lab, technicians already rushing round even at this early time in the day. He glanced again at his watch and frowned. Temperance was never late so how come he was in the lab and she wasn't? He didn't know, but at that precise moment he spotted someone who might.

'Hodgins!'

'Morning.'

'Yeah, hi. Listen you don't happen to know where Bones is do you?'

'Not sure I know she had something to do but I don't know what. Angela rang in about twenty minutes ago to say the pair of them would both be late.'

'And you have no idea whatsoever why Angela isn't here?'

Hodgins chuckled.

'Look man, if I did do you really think I'd risk my life and my job by telling you?'

Booth laughed a little.

'Fair enough.'

'Don't worry, they'll be here soon. You know Brennan, she hates being late.'

Booth nodded good-heartedly and watched as Hodgins walked away towards his workstation. Then, just as Booth was seriously considering simply leaving Brennan a note and calling her later, he spotted her and Angela entering the lab through the sliding glass doors. The pair came to a halt as Angela stopped and pulled her friend aside and the pair spoke in low, hurried tones. Booth frowned again at the scene in front of him and wondered, not for the first time, where Temperance had been that morning. Brennan finally seemed to shake her friend off and left Angela at the doors as she walked away towards her office apparently not seeing Booth. He turned to Angela to see her shaking her head before she shared a glance with him and walked towards him.

'Angela, what was that all about? Where have you two been all morning?'

Angela sighed heavily.

'You need to talk to her Booth because she wont listen to me and she cant do this on her own.'

'Do what?'

'Just talk to her ok.'

And then, just like Temperance, she was gone and Booth was the most confused he'd been all morning. The only difference was, now he was worried too.

She sat at the desk with her head in her hands. The blinds were closed, the door shut tight in an attempt to block out the outside world. The door opened, a shaft of light filtering into the room from the lab outside.

'Bones?'

She stood on shaky legs and walked to him, not looking up at him but talking to his shoes.

'Temperance what…?'

'Please Seeley, don't ask, not now. Just hold me.'

He didn't question her request and complied quickly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly to his chest. She shook in his arms as she squeezed tightly at his shirt causing him to wrap his arms tighter in concern. He rubbed small circles on her back until her breathing slowed and the shaking subsided. Finally she pulled away from him slightly and looked up at him, her eyes damp but if she had cried he had only the damp patch on his shirt to prove it.

'Are you ok?'

She gave a bitter laugh that sounded wrong from her mouth.

'Don't you find it funny that people only ever ask that when they know the answer.'

'But that's the thing Bones, I don't know the answer because I have no idea what's going on. You've been acting odd for a few days now. Is this because I asked you to move in because you know you don't have to, I know its only been six months and if you want us to slow down again that's ok. I'll understand.'

'This isn't about moving in Booth, although if I can just point out that your timing was unintentionally terrible.'

'So what is all this about? Please Tempe, I thought we agreed no secrets.'

She looked at him. He was right, they had agreed on a total lack of secrets, their trust was the foundation of their relationship. She was ruining that.

'Booth, we need to talk.'

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**So there you go, How's their talk going to go down? Will they take on Cams baby? Will I ever get back to the case lol?**


	11. Veritas vos,,, The truth will,,,

**Hi, sorry again for the delay, you're all being so great and I'm being a rubbish updater at the minute. Sorry this parts short but I wrote it quick between exams.**

**Disclaimer: Incase you've forgotten I dont own Bones**

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**Part 11**

**Veritas vos liberabit - The truth will set you free**

_'We need to talk'_

In Seeley Booths entire romantic career those four words had never been followed by a conversation that had ended well. He thought back to some of the previous examples that had followed those words:

'_I think I love someone else'_

'_I'm not looking for a long-term relationship.'_

'_Its not me its you.'_

Or his personal favourite:

'_Yes I'm pregnant but I'm not marrying you.'_

This time however Seeley knew it would be different or at least he thought so. He wished he could say he knew what she was about to say but whatever he thought was going on at that moment he wasn't prepared for what came next.

'Seeley, I don't know where to start.'

She was visibly jittery and paced the room. He walked over to her, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder.

'Whatever it is you can tell me. I've been worried about you these last few days.'

'I know, I'm sorry.'

'Don't be sorry Bones just tell me what's been going on.'

'Promise you wont be angry.'

He knew it was a stupid thing to promise, he had no idea what she was about to say, but as he looked in her eyes at the almost foreign expression of vulnerability he found himself nodding.

'I promise.'

'Cam called me and I went to see her and she's in hospital and she wants us to take care of her baby for three months whilst she gets better and if we don't do it he'll go into foster care and she wants a decision by the end of the week.'

'What?!'

'You promised you wouldn't be angry.'

'I'm not angry I just…that wasn't what I was expecting.'

'What were you expecting?'

'Not that.'

He dropped his hand from her arm and forced a hand in his pocket to turn of his phone without even a glance at the caller display.

'You're angry.'

'I'm not angry I just…when did all this happen?

'A few days ago, I didn't know how to tell you.'

'So that's where you were this morning?'

She nodded as the office seemed to close in on the pair.

'And your fight with Angela?'

'She thinks I'm stupid for even thinking about it.'

He turned away from her towards the window ignoring the familiar buzzing of his phone again..

'Do you?'

'Do I what?'

'Do you think I shouldn't even be considering it?'

He turned back to her, a tight smile gracing his lips.

'Temperance we both know it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks but you.'

'It does matter, I care what you think.'

'But you decided what you were going to do about that baby the minute you left that hospital.'

It was her turn to look away.

'You're going to take him aren't you.'

It was a statement and she couldn't lie to him as she whispered her justifications back.

'I cant leave him Seeley, if I don't take him he'll go into care.'

'I understand that but can you really do this alone?'

She looked up at him.

'I was hoping I wouldn't have to.'

Silence soaked into every corner of the room.

'Temperance I don't know if I can…'

The door opened with Angela attached to the handle.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt but Jack's just taken a call from Deputy Director Cullen. Apparently there's another body. He said he tried to call you.'

Booth sighed and turned to Temperance.

'We'll talk about this later ok.'

He turned and headed to the door.

'Oh and Booth he sounded pretty angry.'

'Yeah there's a lot of that around.'

With that he left the office leaving Angela bewildered and Temperance wondering if being honest was really always the best policy.


	12. Mala tempora currunt, Bad times are,,,

**Ok I know I've been really crappy at updating lately but writers block took hold with a vengance again, the good news is I think its gone now :) so I have this part and the next bit written and I'll get that up asap**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones

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**Mala tempora currunt - Bad times are upon us**

Half an hour later Booth and Brennan found themselves on their way to yet another crime scene. Needless to say Cullen had been less than happy at not being able to get hold of Booth and the following rebuke had left Booth in an even more sour mood than he was already in. Brennan on the other hand was on edge, staring out of the window but casting the occasional glance to her partner who's eyes were fixed firmly on the road. She didn't know what to do, what to say. In their relatively short time as a couple they had never been in a situation like their current one and she was ill equipped to deal with it. This wasn't like their usual arguments.

It was a testament to their relationship that they could proudly claim that they never fought, they just disagreed. Their bickering and constructive discussions made their professional relationship work. They argued, one of them gave in and they both laughed about it. That was how it worked. This was different. She hated that she was to blame for Booths current mood and even more than that she hated that she had no idea how to fix it. She cursed her ever present tendency to mess things up just when they were reaching the near definition of perfect. She looked at him again and took in his set jaw, the firm line of his lips and the unreadable swirl of colour in his darkened eyes. She couldn't stand the silence any longer, she needed to talk, about something, anything.

'So erm, what did they tell you about the remains?'

He answered without looking at her.

'Not much just that the remains were found earlier this morning by the grounds-keeper.'

'At a cemetery right?'

He nodded still not looking at her and as the car pulled up outside the churchyard she gave up talking to him as a bad job and promised herself she'd make an effort later. Booth and Brennan wound there way through the group of CSI's and pushed there way through a growing number of press officers. Booth turned to the officer he assumed was in charge of the scene.

'Cant someone get the press out of here?'

'We're trying but there's only so much we can do, they have a right to be here.'

'And myself and Dr. Brennan have a right to do our jobs properly which is going to be a lot harder with that lot destroying evidence.'

The officer seemed to get the message and signalled to one of his deputies to usher the crowd away. Temperance spoke up and the officer looked at her as though he'd only just noticed she was there.

'Can we see the body then?'

'Oh, the body, of course, right this way. I'm officer Linley by the way'

He led the pair down one of the cemetery's many narrow paths towards a sparse collection of wild thorn bushes that had grouped together at the back of the church. Linley stopped abruptly, hand over mouth, or to be more precise nose.

'Its just down there. I trust you'll be fine by yourselves. I err, I'll just be...if you need me.'

With that Linley scurried off down the path leaving Booth and Brennan alone amongst the gravestones .

'Well someone was in a hurry.'

'I'm not surprised, can't you smell that?'

Brennan shrugged. Now wasn't the time to get into a discussion about the relevance of her immunity to the smell of death, a smell she could detect through concrete walls and yards away from the actual scene. She leaned down towards the heavily decomposed body and cast an educated eye over it.

'Its not as bad as it looks actually.'

'Really, cos it looks pretty bad.'

'It looks like the heavy decomposition is more likely due to animal interference rather than delayed exposure to natural air post-mortem.'

'Which means…?'

She rolled her eyes out of his view. She really wasn't in the mood for this.

'It means she hasn't been dead as long as it looks.'

'She?'

'Yeah, I mean I'd have to look properly back at the lab but I'm pretty sure the remains are female.'

'Anything else?'

'Preliminary overview I'd say she's been dead about three days. Cant see an obvious cause of death but again it'll be a lot easier to tell one the remains are back at the lab.'

Brennan reached across the remains to the decomposing hand on the left of the corpse and ran a gloved hand over the beads it gripped.

'Rosary beads.'

Booth stared at what she was showing him.

'Praying didn't help her though did it.'

His eyes flashed and he turned away.

'Did she die here or was she moved?'

Temperance ignored the clipped tone of his voice and let her eyes wander around the scene before she jumped up on her feet.

'I don't think she was moved but I'm not sure the remains were left in the open either. I think…I mean I guess, we'd have to look for more evidence but I'd say…'

She moved herself to stand next to one of the bright yellow cones being used to mark out a particularly large patch of spotted copper blood that had turned sticky in the summer heat before drying in the grass.

'I think she was killed here and then the killer…'

She narrowed her gaze and analysed the pattern of blood more closely before she stepped over closer to the body.

'The killer dragged her into the bushes, which were then disturbed by animals, thus revealing the remains.'

'Could you prove that?'

She stared up at him.

'I think so.'

'You think so.'

She frowned a little but didn't look away.

'Nothing's certain, not until I get the remains to the lab.'

'Right well, what are we waiting for then, can we move the remains?'

'Yeah, that should be ok as long as forensics are finished.'

'Right well, I'm done here then. I trust you can make your way back with the remains.'

'Err…'

She was bewildered when he turned to leave but surprise quickly turned to anger as she stalked after him. She followed him out of the cemetery and towards the SUV before laying a hand on his shoulder only to jump back as he whipped round.

'Booth I think we need to talk.'

'I think we've done enough talking for one day don't you.'

She was taken aback. He never spoke to her like that, they were always civil towards each other even when they were angry or hurt.

'Why are you being like this? Look, I know what I said about Cam must have been a shock but…'

'That's the thing though isn't it Temperance, it might not have been such a shock if you'd told me about it before Angela.'

'I couldn't tell you, a lot was going on, you'd just asked me to move in with you…'

'Are you blaming me for this?'

'No, of course I'm not. You just haven't been the easiest person to talk to lately.'

'Are you saying I've not been there for you?'

'Well I wasn't but now you mention it, yes that exactly what I'm saying. I don't know what's happened Booth but just lately…oh I don't know.'

'Come on, tell me, or would you rather run it by Angela first?'

'Booth stop being stupid.'

'Oh so now I'm stupid?'

'I didn't mean it like that and you know it.'

'Then how did you mean.'

She threw her still gloved hands in the air in exasperation.

'I cant deal with you when you're like this.'

'Then maybe you shouldn't be around me for a while.'

The anger slipped from her voice to be replaced with a defeated resignation.

'Maybe I shouldn't.'

A niggling question drifted through Temperance's mind.

_'Is this us breaking up?' _

'Fine then, I'll talk to you when you have something for me. Goodbye Dr. Brennan.'

He lifted his body into the vehicle and slowly drove away, leaving Temperance to wonder exactly what had just happened and how it had happened so fast she almost hadn't noticed.


	13. Per aspera ad astra, Through hardships,

**Ok as promised heres the next part. Thanks for all the support, I need it right now lol The good news is in two weeks my exams will be completely over and I can spend a lot more time on this and What a Difference a Year Makes**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones

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**Part 13**

**Per aspera ad astra - Through hardships to the stars**

It took about an hour for Booth to realise that logically he had been an idiot. He knew that most of his earlier outburst was due to residual bitterness towards Cam and his frustrations towards their current case rather than Temperance herself. Yes, his mind caught up relatively quickly to the notion, his heart however, and his pride in particular, prevented him from doing anything about it until late that same night when the sun had long gone down and the shot of scotch in front of him had been drained from the glass for the second time. It was around that time that is pride gave way to another feeling, one of loss. At first he thought it was the pain of loosing Temperance then he realised that was unlikely, after all they had only been apart for a few hours. No, that wasn't the reason for the deep pang of regret that was settling in his gut, at least not directly.

The emotions he was feeling weren't due to anything he had lost, they were due to all the things he could yet lose. The minute he spoke his first cross words to Temperance, the minute he had alluded to their separation he had lost the potential for the future they could have had. He had lost the Christmases, the birthdays, the holidays, the tears, the giggles, the hugs, the kisses, the loud conversations across the lab, the quiet tokens of love whispered in an ear in front of a freshly lit fire and every moment in between. He had lost everything he and Temperance could have had together. It was just as the third scotch appeared beneath his nose that he realised he wasn't prepared to miss that, he wasn't about to let her go. He left the scotch a forced down a pint of water in an attempt to clear his head before he climbed in his car and drove the three blocks from the dank bar he had chosen to Temperance's apartment.

He paused outside for a moment to collect his thoughts before he turned his key and slipped through the door, frowning at the predictability of her not having put the latch across the door. The lull of soft music that was unfamiliar to Booth spread through the dimly lit apartment. A half drank cup of coffee was the only evidence of Temperance's presence in the apartment but Seeley knew she was there. He wandered into the kitchen to look for her and found himself drawn to the solitary photograph that was pinned to the fridge. He pulled it away from the oddly shaped clay figure he supposed was a dinosaur and recognised it as part of the collection Parker had made at school more than a month earlier. The picture itself was one he himself had not seen before but was a scene he could easily place in his memory and had been taken just short of three weeks ago.

It featured himself, Temperance and Parker and had been taken, he supposed by Angela, when none of its subjects were aware. It showed the three of them at the lab one rare weekday when Rebecca had allowed Seeley to collect Parker from school and keep him until the following morning when Booth had the luxury of taking him to school. Booth had taken Parker to the lab to see if the young doctor would join him and his son for dinner. The photograph showed the moment of their meeting with Parker resting neatly on Brennan's hip, his blond curls drifting untamed across his sparkling eyes. Brennan's own eyes were twinkling I response, clearly happy to see the child as her mouth was curled into and easy grin as she hugged the boy close to herself. Booth was stood beside the pair, a hand draped loosely around his partners waist whilst the other hand playfully ruffled at his sons hair, again the patented Booth smile danced across his lips.

Booth was lifted from his reverie by a sudden intake of breath from behind him and turned to see a shocked looking Temperance leaning against the door-frame clad in only a towel.

'What are you doing here? I wondered who it was'

Her exasperated voice almost make him laugh but the noise died in his throat as she shifted the towel to wrap it further around herself and amusement gave way to simple lust. He had obviously interrupted her shower. Her hair was almost black but with strong glints of the golden copper colour it occasionally shone still present and it hung behind her, slick to her back as rivulets of water ran from the sodden strands and down her body to form a small puddle behind her. Her cheeks were stained pink beneath the skin showing obvious signs of the surprise she had felt at finding him in her kitchen. Booths eyes were drawn to the tiny beads of sweat that had formed along the top hem of the towel that hugged the swell of her heaving chest as she tried to calm her breathing. Booth realised he was staring and looked upwards seeking her eyes.

'When did you get that?'

She flicked her eyes over the photograph.

'A few weeks ago, Angela gave me it.'

'I haven't seen it before, or the 'dinosaur'.'

'That's because we never come here, we always go to your place.'

She spoke with a shrug of her shoulder and her voice didn't betray her emotions but he knew what she said was right, they never spent the night at her apartment anymore, and wondered if the issue had ever played on her mind.

'What about the dinosaur, Parker made that ages ago, I don't remember him giving you it.'

'Because you weren't there when he did. I left work one afternoon early. It was months ago now. I had a few errands to run and whilst I was out I ran into Parker and Rosa. He'd just finished them at school, apparently he made that one especially for me.'

This time her tone betrayed her as the heat-warming appreciation she felt for the barely identifiable lump of baked dough shone through and an odd smile slipped onto her lips before disappearing again as she stared up at him, still with a good six feet between the pair as she leaned against the door-frame and he kept his vigil in front of the fridge.

'So why exactly is it you're here in my kitchen at half ten at night without warning and saying nothing?'

He noticed the curtly restrained anger in her voice and sighed.

'Look Temperance I came to talk not fight. I wanted to put right what happened earlier. What you told me about Cam and…Toby…'

Brennan inclined her head and knew how hard even uttering the child's name had been.

'What you told me threw me and I didn't know what to think. I'd be lying if I didn't say that the fact that you told Angela before me didn't annoy me.'

'I just didn't know how to tell you.'

'I know and that's what worried me most, we should be able to talk to each other about anything, especially something this important.'

Her face softened and he knew she was listening.

'Look, I'm not about to try to change your mind because if I know you as well as I hope I do you've already decided to take the kid and nothing I say will change that.'

She averted her gaze and they both knew he was right.

'I wont try to change your mind and I'm not saying I agree with you either but…I do love you…and I'm not about to abandon you to watch you struggle to take care of Camille's son. I want what we have to work and if I let you go just because I didn't support one decision you've made out of the sense of duty I fell in love with then I'm a bigger idiot than even you thought.'

'I don't think you're an idiot.'

Her voice was barely above a whisper and tears glistened in her eyes.

'Good because I don't plan to be one. I'm going to help you, not because it's the right thing to do or because I have to but because I want to, because I want you, because I love you and I don't plan on going anywhere ever.'

She looked up at him and, clutching the towel with one hand, swiftly crossed the distance between then to latch her free hand around his middle in a fierce embrace. She looked up at him as he clasped his own arms around her waist, rubbing small circles through the soft towelling at her hips.

'I'm sorry for the way we argued and I'm sorry for not telling you about Cam.'

He smiled a little and shushed her, smoothing a hand across her still damp hair and pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

'Lets just forget it ok. Its finished with now.'

She nodded in to his chest then looked up wearing a small smile of her own.

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

Her smile grew mischievous.

'That's good because I was half way through a shower when you got here and I would very much like to finish it with some company.'

He flashed her a wicked grin and his grip on her hips tightened slightly. Their first argument was definitely forgotten.

'Well if you were lonely in there all by yourself who am I to refuse to keep you company. If your good I might even help you in there.'

She gave a un-characteristic giggle.

'Oh Seeley I can be very good indeed.'

He gave an unabashed open-mouthed laugh and let her lead him to the bathroom with thoughts of Cam and Toby far from his mind, his eyes simply full of love and lust for the woman who he knew would forever keep him on his toes, for better or for worse.


	14. Cui Bono? Good for whom?

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Ok here's the next part finally, sorry its a little short and I look forward to reading your reviews, you're all great :)

Disclaimer: I dont own Bones

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Part 14

Cui Bono? - Good for whom?

Temperance lay her head back and nestled in Booths shoulder, revelling in the feeling of his chest against her cheek. He tightened his grip on her waist and placed a kiss atop her still damp hair. They both knew the other wasn't asleep but neither spoke, as they settled into an easy silence, easy that is until Temperance felt the bursting need to break it.

'I'll have to call Cam tomorrow, tell her I can collect Toby on Monday.'

'Are you sure you can get everything together by then?'

'I should be able to, for most stuff I'll just need to collect it from her apartment, there's only really baby formula I need to buy.'

Booth marvelled at how odd it sounded to hear child-phobic Temperance Brennan talking about baby food and formula.

'Tempe, I know this probably isn't the time to ask but…'

She sat up sharply and looked at him.

'I feel an un-fun conversation coming on.'

Booth sat up too, the bed covers bunching at his waist, and took her hand.

'I just wondered…if you'd thought any more about moving in together.'

'Booth…'

'No, just hear me out. I know it's a big step but we've been dating for six months now Bones, I just think it would be a good thing. I mean we spend next to all our time together anyway, why not make it official.'

'That's the bit I don't like, the whole official bit. Lets face it Booth, it might not be a secret but we aren't exactly shouting our relationship from the rooftops are we.'

Booth went on the defence.

'That's because its no one else's business.'

'No its because we're scared that one day someone going to turn round and tell us exactly how inappropriate our relationship is.'

'Temperance, I don't plan on going anywhere so why are you making such a big deal out of this?'

She slipped from the bed and pulled on her nightgown, pacing the end of the bed.

'Because it is a big deal. For Gods sake Booth why cant you see this isn't just moving in, it could never be 'just' moving in and we both know it. You get together, then you sleep together, then you meet any children involved, then you move in, you meet the parents, you get married and have a bunch of kids. We're together, we've slept together, I see parker every week and you've just asked me to move in with you. I'm not getting married, I'm not having kids and I cant deal with meeting your parents right now ok. That is why I don't want to move in.'

Booth gave a heavy sigh and ran a hand across his tired eyes.

'Well that told me. I just…it doesn't matter…forget it.'

Temperance sighed, a frown appearing on her face and an odd sense of guilt sinking in her stomach at having placed the sadness in Seeley's voice. She moved round the bed to sit next to her and ran a hand across his cheek.

'Look, I'm not saying never…'

'I know, just not right now. It doesn't have to be like that you know. When I asked you to move in I wasn't asking you to marry me.'

'I know I just…'

'Its ok, I understand and besides, there's a lot going on right now. Just promise me one thing ok. When this case is over and when Cams out of hospital, just promise we'll talk about this again. Just talk, that's all it has to be, just talking.'

Temperance smiled and kissed him softly.

'I promise, when the case is over and Cam has Toby back, we'll talk.'

'That's good enough for me.'

He kissed her.

'Have I mentioned that I love you yet today?'

She grinned.

'Oh only about thirty times.'

'Well I don't think that's enough do you.'

She smiled again, moving onto his lap.

'Well it couldn't hurt to hear it just once more.'

'I love you.'

He kissed her soundly and she returned the favour.

'I love you too.'

That night the pair slept soundly and no more harsh words were spoken or awkward conversations started all weekend but as is always the case…Monday came round all too quickly.


	15. Corpus Delicti, Body of the offence

**Ok Sorry again about the delay and sorry about the shortness of this chapter but its just a filler really. I've finally managed to get caught up with this fic so i should be able to update sooner now. You were all wonderful as always in your latest reviews :)**

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**Chapter 15**

**Corpus Delicti - Body of the offence **

'Ok then Bones, what have you got for me?'

Booth practically bounced through the lab that Monday morning, quickly swiping his card and stepping onto the platform. He leant against the railings and stared expectantly at Brennan and Zach.

'Morning to you too Agent Booth.'

'Yeah whatever.'

Brennan rolled her eyes as Booth proceeded to ignore her assistant and turned his full attention to her.

'Caucasian female, roughly 50-55 years of age. That's all we've go so far, we were just about to start our examination, you staying?'

'Sure, why not I'll just look the other way when you do the gross parts.'

Temperance shook her head at him and looked back to the body.

'Ok so elderly Caucasian female, obvious signs of animal activity…'

'Ok actually on second thoughts I'm going to talk to Angela while you do the gross bits.'

Temperance smiled as he wandered away from the platform and rolled her eyes before continuing her examination.

'Despite the animal activity I'd put time of death at 72-84 hours ago. Zach can you make sure Hodgins gets those particulates so we can confirm that.'

'Sure. Shall I ask him for the flesh beetles whilst I'm there?'

'Yeah if you would. It shouldn't take too long and then Angela can do a reconstruction.'

Zach nodded and walked from the platform, passing Booth on his way.

'Done talking about the yucky stuff yet.'

Brennan sighed.

'Baby. There's not much more we can do until the bones are clean. Hodgins has taken most of the particulates he can so we just have to wait for now.'

'Look Bones I know you don't like to prejudice your investigations and all that but have you checked for a number?'

'No and I don't plan to.'

Booth sighed.

'Bones please, for once just humour me.'

'No, if I start looking for specifics I might miss other things.'

'We both know that's not true, you don't 'miss' anything.'

'I don't care, that's not how I work, you should know that by now.'

'Ok, look at it this way then if you do take a peak at her skull and you do happen to find a serious of numbers and a name and then if by chance when you take a look at her bones and the hyoid is broken then I can go to Cullen and request that this be pushed from a double homicide to a serial killer case which means more men, more equipment, more facilities, more…'

'Ok, ok I get it. I'll look if it'll shut you up.'

She sighed heavily, her forehead creasing as she bent forward and cast her eye over the head of the corpse. Her glance fell upon an anomaly and she prodded a gloved finger towards the flap of skin she had found. Finally after a few silent seconds she looked up at Booth.

'Sometimes I hate it when you're right.'

He moved quickly to her side and looked to where she was pointing, caught between satisfaction and dismay as he read what he saw.

__

Anne

23637

The pair both leaned away from the body and almost tried to wish away their discovery, a serial killer case was the last thing they needed right now.

'I'll call Cullen, tell him what we've got.'

'Ok, I tell Zach to hold off on stripping the bones yet, we might be able to find out what was used to cut away the skin where the numbers are, it might help.'

'Couldn't you do that with the other two?'

'No, they were both too decomposed. Do you want me to get Angela to start searching the missing persons database for woman named Anne?'

'Best just search for woman aged 50-55 for now and then pick out any named Anne, that way we're covering ourselves.'

'Ok, sure. I'll see what I can get here then I'll call you ok?'

'That's fine, will I see you tonight?'

She shook her head.

'Probably not. I, erm…I'm picking Toby up tonight so I'm not sure when I'll get home.'

'Oh, yeah I forgot about that.'

She offered him a small smile.

'Right I'd better go then, talk to you later?'

'Sure.'

He smiled and exited the lab. She pushed up her sleeve and looked at her watch.

__

12:35pm

She was leaving work early that day to meet Cam at 4pm. Temperance breathed deeply. That meant that with Booth half a city away and a serial killer on the loose in less than three hours she was going to be the surrogate mother to a child she had never even met.


	16. Ab incunabulis, From the cradle

**Ok so this ones a bit longer as promised and I already have most of the next part written so I'll update asap, well done with your reviews, they were all great and I loved reading them**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

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Chapter 16

**Ab incunabulis - From the cradle**

The hospital had the same sticky claustrophobic feeling it had had the previous week only this time Temperance felt ten times worse as she walked through its doors. She was, after-all, alone this time and about to take on the child of a woman she thought she could never have any real connection to. Now Temperance was well aware that they would always have a connection, a baby, Cams baby, a baby who once upon a time could have been Booths and a baby who, although he would probably never remember her, would rely on Tempe for three of the earliest months of his life.

__

'What am I getting myself into?'

The words slipped from her lips as an unbidden whisper as she passed through the double doors onto the heavily sterile environment of Cams ward. She checked the board at the nurses station and saw that Cam was still in the same room as before. She headed in that general direction and came to a halt outside the room. She took one big deep breath before giving a short knock and entering the room.

'Hi.'

She looked up to see Cam seated in the chair beside her bed, she looked a little better than the last time she had seen her but the way she held herself and the grip she held on the arm of the chair hinted at a look of pain behind her genial smile. Another woman was also in the room and stood not far from Cam, a tight, patronising smile etched on her lips.

'Ahh Temperance I presume.'

She leant forward, her hand thrust out in front of her. Tempe shook it awkwardly and noticed the plastic name tag dangling from the top pocket of her cheaply tailored jacket and it was then she noticed the Moses basket at Cams feet, no doubt containing Toby although Temperance couldn't actually see. This other woman it quickly transpired was the social woman in charge of Toby's 'case' and Temperance found herself taking and immediate dislike to the woman.

'I'm Miss Sheila Monroe, Toby's case worker. You needn't be alarmed at my presence. I'm only here to ensure the exchange goes smoothly.'

Temperance caught Cams eye at use of the word exchange to describe the baby at her feet. Cam rolled her eyes and Temperance felt a sudden empathy with her as they joined forces in their silent dislike of one Sheila Monroe. The woman in question turned behind her and procured an official looking piece of paper.

'Right I'd think we'd better proceed don't you, seeing as we're late already.'

Temperance frowned and glanced quickly at her watch, unsure just how late Miss Monroe thought she was.

'Sorry, the lab, it was hard to get away. You know what its like.'

She looked past Sheila to Cam who smiled and nodded good naturedly. Miss Monroe on the other hand wasn't smiling, her hand sweeping up to tug at and errant strand on the slick black hair she had swept into a bun.

'Yes well, do try to be more prompt next time.'

'Next time?'

'We'll be having fortnightly meetings to establish just how well you're handling the task of being Baby Saroyan's foster parent.'

'He's called Toby.'

The indignation and frustration in Cams voice informed Temperance that that was probably not the first time she had informed this woman of her sons name.

'Yes, Toby, of course.'

She pushed the paper under Temperance's nose.

'If you just sign this we can all be on our way.'

Miss Monroe gave a nervy glance to her watch and began to tap her foot. Temperance took the paper from her and read it quickly, wanting nothing more than to see the irritating social worker leave. She took the pen offered to her and signed.

It was done. As simple as that. In the space of fifteen minutes she had become the legal guardian of one Toby James Saroyan until such a time that his mother was seen fit by a medical practitioner to care for her son.

'Right I'll be off then. I'll be in touch Miss Brennan.'

'Its Dr. Brennan.'

'Right, Dr. Brennan, of course.'

With a final huff and condescending glance to both Camille and Temperance Sheila Monroe tucked the contract into her briefcase and exited the room, leaving the other two women alone. Alone that is except for the presence of the small baby now mewing for attention from where he lay in his basket. Cam reached down and Temperance noticed the twinge of pain she betrayed in her eyes as she lifted her son onto her lap. Temperance marvelled at how small he was, cradled in Cams arms, staring up at her, an expression painted on his face that only a baby could have.

'Here, you should hold him, get to know him.'

Then almost without warning Cam passed the baby in a bewildered Temperance's arms. Her first instinct was to panic but the logical, analytical side of her brain took over and she knew that rationally if this was going to work she would have to make an effort to bond with the child now snuggling into her.

'He likes you.'

Tempe noticed the wistful melancholy in Cams voice and tried to empathise with how she must be feeling but found herself unable to. She supposed in some ways it must be like loosing your parents but in reverse, the only difference was thought Tempe somewhat bitterly, Cam knew that in three months time she would get her son back.

'Are those his things?'

She pointed to the small collection of bags that sat beside the carry-cot.

'Yeah, he doesn't have much in the way of actually things, mostly he just has his clothes. There's his changing mat and accessories in that bag there which should cover him for about a week and he should be ok with the carry-cot for a few nights but when you get the chance I've put the key to my apartment in the blue bag and you can pick up his crib. Its not too big and it folds away so that shouldn't be too hard. That's about it apart from Binkie.'

'Binkie?'

'The bear.'

Temperance looked down into the Moses-basket and noticed the small mint-green stuffed animal who apparently went by the name of Binkie.

'He'll be ok if you just put it with him at night. He wont sleep right through but you should get a good few hours, he's not too bad and if he does wake up he usually goes back off fairly quickly.'

'Right.'

'He's not on solids yet but he's on bottled milk, I've put the tin in his bag too so it should be easier for you.'

'Thanks.'

'No its me that should be saying thanks.'

The two women sat in silence for a moment, the only sound between them being the infants soft breathing.

'Are you sure about this Cam?'

Cam nodded firmly.

'I'm sure, besides you've met the wonderful Miss Monroe, surely you can see I don't have much of a choice. How about you, its not too late to back out, I mean I'll understand if you don't want to do this.'

'No, its ok. I want to help. Whatever happened between us isn't Toby's fault and like you've said, there's no one else so how can I say no.'

'How does Booth feel about all this.'

It felt strange hearing Cam talk about Booth in such a casual tone but Temperance answered her question anyway.

'He's ok I think.'

'You think?'

It was around about then Temperance realised she would probably never meet another person, apart from Rebecca, who knew her partner almost as well as herself and found herself with the sudden urge to confide in Cam. She sat on the bed next to Cam and shifted the baby in her arms.

'Its hard to explain. He doesn't like the idea but…'

'But he's willing to go along with it for you.'

Temperance nodded in confirmation.

'I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I said no.'

'No to what?'

'To moving in.'

'He asked you to move in?'

Temperance nodded again.

'Yeah, around about when you called.'

'And you said no?'

'Not there and then but eventually. It just wasn't right. Its not the right time, I know it isn't. I mean there was you asking me to take care of Toby and Booth has Rebecca on his back over school choices for Parker and then we have the case from hell at the minute and it just isn't…just isn't the right time.'

Cam smiled a little and quickly read through the very spaced out lines before concluding that the reasons the young anthropologist before her had refused to move in had nothing to do with the relatively convincing points she had just put across and more to do with the fact that she had most likely panicked.

'You have a point Temperance but ask yourself this, when will the 'right time' be?'

Temperance sighed and stood up, placing Toby in his carrier.

'I'd better go, I promised Booth I'd call him.'

'Ok'

A cloud of sadness seemed to descend over Cam as she leaned into the carrier and said a quick farewell to her son. Temperance looked at her, trying to think of the best way to offer comfort.

'I'll look after him Cam. I promise.'

'I know you will, I know.'

And in that moment, as she gathered up the bags and items she needed to take care of this one small person Temperance could only wish that she was as sure of herself and her ability to care for Toby as Cam seemed to be.

* * *


	17. Pater familias, Father of the family

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Ok, here's the next part for all you dutiful reviewers out there

Disclaimer: I dont own Bones

* * *

Chapter 17

Pater familias - Father of the family

Booth wasn't sure what he had expected that Monday night when, after much deliberation, he'd gotten in the SUV and driven the short distance to Temperance's apartment block before walking inside the building, finding her door, sliding his key in the lock and entering the apartment. All he knew is whatever he had been expecting it wasn't this.

He kept quiet, not yet ready to announce his presence and destroy the captivating scene before him. Renowned author and brilliant anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who as far as he knew had never even entertained the though of having children of her own, who avoided infants as much as possible and seemed to awkwardly clam up if she was even in the same room as someone under the age of twelve was currently sat cross-legged in the middle of her living room blowing raspberries on the rounded stomach of a giggling baby she had met less that six hours ago.

Booth smiled at the scene he had been privy too previously only in his dreams, now if only the baby was theirs… He shook his head a little to dispel that thought. It was one of his more dangerous fantasies, one that they both knew could only end in a mild form of disappointment for him and a guilty, heavy heart for her. He cleared his throat and her head shot up, a startled expression on her face.

'Booth! What are you doing here?'

'I thought I'd come see how you were doing.'

'I think we're ok…I think.'

The hesitancy in her voice warmed him and he felt the urge to reassure her.

'It all looks pretty ok to me.'

She watched him as he lingered on the edge of the room.

'Here, take a look at him.'

He hesitated but she pretended not to se as he cautiously stepped over towards her and Toby as they sat on her floor. Booth settled himself beside her and studied the infant before him. Toby stared up at him, his big brown eyes brimming with innocence, his lips parted in mild amusement and a wisp of charcoal coloured baby hair brushed its way across his face.

'He's a cute kid.'

'Yeah, I suppose he is.'

She knew her response had been redundant but the childs 'cuteness' had been the last thing she'd considered over the past few hours. In any case, the ethereal beauty of the baby was shattered the minute it became displeased and began to cry…loudly.

'He's been like this all night, fine one minute, screaming for dear life the next.'

Booth chuckled and watched as his partner watched Toby in confusion before he intervened.

'He probably just wants to be held. Here.'

He picked up Toby and cradled him in the crook of his arm. All at once the crying stopped and Toby blinked up at Booth as if to puzzle out the source of this sudden comfort. Temperance turned away and sat on the sofa as she watched Booth sway with Toby, the baby's eyelids apparently becoming increasingly heavy as the fluttered slowly shut.

'He likes you.'

'Yeah well its easy when you know how.'

'What if I don't learn how?'

Booth sat down next to her, careful not to jostle Toby awake.

'You will learn Bones, I promise you will and besides, I don't plan on going anywhere.'

'I know what this is costing you Booth…after what Cam did.'

She thought she saw his eyes cloud but then she blinked and they were clear again.

'How is Cam?'

She understood, her deception was not something he wanted to talk about.

'Its hard to tell. She's putting a brave face on it but osteomyelitis is a painful condition, it cant be easy for her.'

'What exactly is osteomyelitis?'

'A bone disease, well to be more precise a bone infection. Its most common in children but in Cams case it was probably brought on by the stress of giving birth and caring for Toby.'

'Will she get better.'

'Probably…maybe…eventually, she's on a strong course on antibiotics to clear the infection but that could take months and in the mean time the infection's taking its toll on her and her immune system.'

'So what's best case scenario for her?'

'The antibiotics work and in a couple of moths she leaves hospital as if nothing ever happens.'

'And worst case scenario…?'

'The antibiotics don't work, of don't work quick enough and she never walks again.'

Neither one spoke for a moment as Booth registered that information and Temperance took her knowledge and experience and applied it to someone she knew, someone who's child her partner was currently rocking to sleep.

'How does she seem, you know mentally?'

'She's low but I suppose that's to be expected, social services want to take her baby away and we're the only people she had to turn to, I say that was a pretty grim situation wouldn't you. She's trying to stay strong though, I know she is. She wants to get better, to beat this, for her sons sake.'

Booth nodded but said nothing as he stared at the boy in his arms.

'You should go see her Booth.'

'I cant.'

His voice was quiet, and if questioned on it he would say it was so he didn't wake the baby but she heard it, that secret subtext, the forbidden language of his innermost expressions that only a lover can hear.

'You should think about it Booth.'

'I will but I cant see her, not now, not yet.'

He wasn't ready to forgive her yet.

'Where's he sleeping?'

The change of subject was sudden but expected and Temperance complied.

'I went over to Cams earlier and picked his crib up, its in the spare room.'

She tried not to think about how bare Cams small apartment had been. No photo's, no colour, no artwork, no mess, no evidence on first inspection that anyone lived there except for the neatly folded pile of baby clothes awaiting ironing in the living room and the unopened pile of mail that lay waiting on the mat.

'Right well I think we'd better put this little fella' to bed, that is if you intend on getting any sleep tonight.'

She realised then how tired she was, how draining the days events had been and she gave a bitter laugh.

'Sleep please.'

She stood with him and followed him to the spare bedroom which was empty apart from a desk and chair in one corner and a newly assembled crib in the other. Booth lay Toby gently down atop the cream cotton blankets that smelt distinctly of washing powder and scented wipes mixed with that unique smell possessed only by babies.

'I'd say he looks pretty ok, wouldn't you?'

She gave a brief nod and turned her eyes away from Toby in favour of watching Booth as he stared at the baby, an odd look in his eyes.

'Seeley do you want another baby?'

The question had left her lips before she'd even though about it and she immediately regretted it, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. Booth himself seemed startled, his eyes never leaving the sleeping infant before him as he answered her slowly, well aware of the consequences any answer he gave could bring.

'I suppose so, I hadn't really thought about it.'

'That's a lie and we both know it.'

He voice was quiet, calm, almost resigned and not at all accusatory. He sighed, the truth, he could do the truth, for her.

'I want more kids, I do. But I don't need more kids.'

'Then…if you want more children are you really sure that being with me is a good thing.'

'Oh I'm sure it's a good thing.'

He was looking at her now.

'Really, because don't plan on changing my mind on this Seeley and I don't want you to stay with me hoping that one day I'll wake up with the undeniable urge to be a mother because I don't think its going to happen and if that's the case then you should leave, find someone else and…and…'

He thought he heard a small hiccup bubble from her lips and took in the silent tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. He moved immediately to take her in his arms and comfort her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, seeming to cling on as if everything she was depended on it.

'Like I said Temperance, I want kids, I don't need them. I do need you and if having you means Parker's all I'm meant to have then that's ok, that's enough, you're enough.'

'What happens when I'm not enough?'

He heard her words but another silent question hovered over them like an unspoken curse.

__

What if 'enough' was less than either of them deserved?

'You'll always be enough.'

'You cant promise that.'

'No but I believe it, and if ever you aren't enough then we'll talk, we'll figure it out, that I do promise.'

And for once in her life Temperance Brennan was content to forget how illogical they were both being, to forget that it was unlikely Booth would ever be truly happy without more children, to forget the feeling of inadequacy that had settled in the pit of her stomach and to simply rest, rest in the arms of her lover and naively believe that everything he said to her would always be true.

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**I'm going to be super nice and not insult you intelligence by stating how happy I'll be if you review lol**


	18. In manus tuas , Into your hands,,,

**Chapter 18 **

**In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum - Into your hands I entrust my spirit.**

'I don't trust her, she doesn't look the maternal type.'

'Neither do you Bones, he'll be fine.'

He steered his partner away from the Jeffersonian day-care drop-in on the second floor and gave her a gentle push towards the elevator. Once inside she resumed her complaints regarding the young blond that had taken Toby from her with a saccharin sweet smile.

'She was very young.'

'You're the one telling me that age is an unfair stigma in today's society, it was only last week you told me all that stuff about women in African tribes having children at like thirteen.'

'Yes but they were raised to do that, they're mature within their own civilisation, blondie back there looked like her mom was still packing her lunchbox.'

'Harsh words from someone who's boyfriend decides where she eats practically every day…'

'That's because you always drag me there, not because of anything else.'

'I don't understand where all this has come from, you're the one who decided he'd be better in day-care.'

'Yes, because its not practical for him to come to work with me and its not realistic for me to take three months off.'

Booth groaned inwardly at the thought of three more months of his girlfriend complaining about the care of Cam's son.

'And she was wearing that silly little T-shirt…'

'Ahh, now it all makes sense…'

Temperance stared at him, confused by his epiphany, whilst he simply grinned from ear to ear and raised and eyebrow and the elevator 'dinged' at the reached the Medico-Legal floor.

'What makes sense?'

'You, this whole little outburst, I get it now, it was all about the blond hair and the tiny t-shirt.'

'Don't be ridiculous Booth.'

She stalked off towards the lab, Booth skipping at her side.

'Its not ridiculous…and she was young…'

He watched her forehead crease and suppressed a chuckle.

'Now you're holding youth against her?'

She ignored him and he continued his teasing.

'Now, what was her name…Amanda? No that wasn't it. Anna? No that was the waitress at the diner last week. Alice, that was it. Lovely blonde Alice…'

He'd done it and the fun was over as she rounded on him four strides from the glass doors of the lab.

'Ok, that's it! Anymore talk from you about 'the lovely Alice' and I'll refuse to sleep with you until Cam has Toby back.'

He held his hands up in mock defence, entirely too pleased with himself at his efficiency to annoy her.

'Ok, ok I give in.'

She backed away from him and the pair headed to her office. A few seconds passed before Booth risked a grin and attempted to speak, making a comment he couldn't resist.

'No offence Bones but it was you that brought Alice up.'

Needless to say he only just sidestepped her favourite pen in time as it flew past him as a physical sign of her disgruntlement.

* * *

'So did you get Toby to day-care ok?'

It was half an hour later when the perky artist appeared in Tempe's office to as this question. Temperance glared at Booth as he snorted.

'Yes thank you Angela and don't believe anyone else tells you.'

Angela glanced between the pair, knowing she was missing something and shook her head.

'Anyway, I just wondered what you were doing for lunch.'

'Oh she wont be here for lunch.'

Temperance rounded on Booth still prickly from his early allusions to her lunchtime preferences.

'Oh really, and since when were you the one that planned my lunch dates?'

'Well one since I started being that lunch date and two since body No. 3 has been identified as Anna Swanstone, a widowed nun from a convent right here in DC we're going on a little outing to question a few of her little friends.'

'Fine.'

'That is if you don't already have an appointment.'

'Shut up Booth, I said I'd come didn't I.'

He rolled his eyes, apparently it was going to be one of those days. Angela just smiled and left. Trouble in paradise might be entertaining but when those two kicked off it was better not to be within a twenty yard radius when they did.

* * *

'Why would anyone kill a nun?'

'I believe if we knew that then we wouldn't have much of job would we?'

'I would, I had a career long before I met you remember.'

He shook his head, keeping his eyes determinedly on the road as he followed the predestined route to St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church.

'Ok then look at it this way, why does anyone kill anyone?'

'Killings usually happen for a set group of reasons. Jealousy, or passion killings are one group, then you have ritualistic killings, then there's the group classically defined as mercy killings, another group is killings for personal gain, then of course there's murders committed for attention or by the mentally ill…'

'Ok, I get it, lots of reasons…'

She folded her arms as the car stopped at the next light, a sulky look on her face.

'I was just saying…'

'Are you going to be like this all day?'

'Like what?'

'Moody, snippy?'

She looked at him and sighed.

'Sorry Booth, I just didn't get much sleep last night. I don't think Toby's settled yet.'

He felt a pang of sympathy for his girlfriend and felt a little bad for the way he had teased her earlier that morning.

'S'ok Bones, I understand.'

She shot him a grateful smile and was glad when the car journey came to a swift halt as they pulled up outside the church.

'So, who are we here to see again?'

'Father Charles Elliot, he's part of the clergy acting for St. Augustine's convent which is adjoined to the church. If we have time we might go there to, see if we can find anyone that knew Anna.'

Temperance nodded and followed him as he walked towards the church, pushing open the heavy oak doors and making his way inside. Although her religious preferences were murky at best she had always rather enjoyed being inside churches. From an anthropological point of view she was able to appreciate the ritualistic, boastful actions seen in some representations of the Catholic Church but the child in her always struggled to get past the vain splendour and 'sparkle' of it.

Her senses were on high alert as she tried to process the sight of the high ceilings and rustic beams, the smooth feel of the dark wood pews under her fingertips, the sweet scent of the burning incense that drifted towards her from the front of the church, the gentle, lulling sound of singing floating to her from the church choir and the unmistakable dust and something that can only be described as 'church taste' as it settled on her tongue as she breathed in.

She shook her head to clear it and noticed that Booth was now quite a way in front of her, meandering his way through the pews towards a billowing white object she assumed was the priest who seemed to be talking with the choir who had stopped their singing. She gave a subtle little jog to catch up to him, bringing herself to his side just as he reached the priest who turned to the pair.

'Father Elliot?'

'That's me, how may I help you?'

'Father we're working with the FBI. We're afraid we need to talk with you on a rather delicate matter.'

Booth glanced from the relatively small choir, some of whom were no older than seven, before looking back to the priest who seemed to have gotten the message.

'Ah…yes…delicate…of course… come with me…'

He walked away then stopped sharply and turned back to the choir.

'Christian can you continue please.'

A boy Temperance assumed was the eldest choir member, seeming in his late teens and who she now had ascertained was called Christian stepped away from the others and stood before the choir in the same way Father Elliot had, resuming their practice. Brennan and Booth followed the priest a room at the side of the main hall.

Upon entrance the cosy furniture and homely appearance told Temperance this must be where Father Elliot lived. The three sat down, Father Elliot taking what appeared to be his favourite chair judging by the lumpy, shaped cushions and Booth and Brennan both chose a spot on a nearby couch.

'So, you had something you wished to discuss?'

Booth leant forward to talk to the older man.

'Yes it regards one of the nuns in your convent, a Sister Anna Swanstone.'

'Ahh yes Anna, wonderful woman, one I always felt was slightly wasted on the convent, some people after all are just not suited for that calling.'

'Father, I'm afraid Sister Swanstone is deceased.'

Father Elliot inhaled sharply.

'Deceased…as in dead? Anna?'

Booth nodded his confirmation and the priest hastily crossed himself which Booth mimicked.

'How? Why?'

'I'm afraid she was murdered, in a nearby churchyard.'

'Oh my…I mean she was missing but…'

Temperance stepped in.

'Father Elliot we need you to tell us anything you know about Anna.'

The priest looked at her weakly but nodded slowly and complied.

'Anna joined the convent about fifteen years ago when I had just started here. She'd been recently widowed, and still being fairly young wanted to find some purpose in her life. She believed she had found that in the church.'

'But didn't you say the convent didn't suit her?'

'Not recently no. For the first ten years or so she was the model sister, she helped the younger sisters, was favoured in the community and was a pious member of the church. Then about five years ago she grew restless, I believe the strain of devoting her life to God and His work was beginning to show for a while she was miserable, withdrawn. Then, suddenly she cheered up. She never said but we all knew the reason and his name was Alan Taylor, the caretaker who tended to the convent garden. I don't believe anything less that decent happened, Anna better that that but I do believe she fell in love. When she disappeared we all just assumed they'd run off together, young they may not be but he made her happy and in all honesty I was pleased for her.'

Both Booth and Brennan mentally noted Alan Taylor as a potential suspect.

'Father, can you tell us what Anna was like within her time in the convent, who were her friends, her enemies, did she have any particular interests?'

'To be honest I'm probably not the best person to talk to about this, I cant say I really knew her on a personal level. You'd be better off speaking to Christian.'

'Christian, the choir boy?'

'Yes, he's a ward of the church. He came here when he was five years old after the death of his parents as a downtrodden orphan named Julian Watson. We renamed him and gave him a home here. He spends a lot of time in the convent, he sees it as his way of giving back to the community that have raised him.'

'Thank-you Father, for all your help, we'll be in touch.'

The pair stood to leave.

'Oh wait a minute here he is.'

The pair turned to see Christian stood in the doorway.

'Father, Oliver wants to know what time he should be here on Thursday?'

'Ah yes'

He turned to Brennan and Booth.

'We have a choir competition to go to.'

He looked back to Christian.

'Tell him to be here early, around eight.'

Christian nodded and turned to leave.

'Christian my boy, wait a moment, these two lovely people would like a words with you.'

Temperance was pretty sure that it was the word 'lovely' that caused her nose to wrinkle.

'Hi Christian, my name's Agent Booth, and this is my partner Dr. Brennan, we're working with the FBI. We'd just like a quick word with you about Anna.'

'Anna? Sister Swanstone?'

'Yes, we were just wondering what you could tell us about her.'

'She was wonderful, everyone loved Sister Swanstone. It was a real disappointment when she left but these things happen I suppose.'

'Do you know if she had any enemies, or just people she didn't get on with.'

'No, Anna was friends wit everyone, she was just a 'friendly person'.'

Booth nodded, an odd feeling settling in his chest as he realised he wasn't going to get anything more than how wonderful she was.

'Ok, that's all for now then.'

He moved to leave but Temperance suddenly remembered something else.

'By any chance do these numbers mean anything to either of you?'

She handed them a piece of paper, the all important numbers neatly written out in her tidy handwriting. A brief look of confusion flicked across both faces and moments later they both shook their heads.

'Ok, if you think of anything more to tell us don't hesitate to call, I'll leave that with you.'

She grabbed a pen from her pocket and hastily scribbled both her and Booths cell numbers beneath her earlier neater digits. Her and Booth said their final goodbyes and left the church, sadly knowing little more than they had earlier that day.


	19. Orta recens,,, Newly risen,,,

**Ok, its me again, back to praise my wonderful yet scarce reviewers and to harass those of you that believe I am emotionally secure without your opinion lol, only kidding but a review or two more wouldn't hurt, me or you.**

**Chapter 19**

**Orta recens quam pura nites - Newly risen how brightly you shine.**

'Well that was a dead end.'

'Not completely, I mean put it this way, we know she was a devout Catholic who had a thing for his rose bushes.'

Booths comment forced a smile from Temperance who for once was incredibly glad that it was a Thursday and the weekend was right around the corner. They had just come out of their interview with Alan Taylor, the assumed lover, or at least admirer, of Sister Anna Swanstone. Unfortunately for them the meeting had not been one of their most fruitful, with sixty one year old Alan evidently upset and clearly surprised to find the object of his affection had been brutally murdered. Apparently when all was said and done their relationship had been nothing more than 'just good friends', and in Brennan's professional opinion there was no way Alan Taylor could have exerted the force needed to kill Anna Swanstone or any of the 'numerical victims', as they had been dubbed by the local paper thanks to an unfortunate press leak.

'He was our only suspect.'

They were in Booths office, her in the desk chair flicking through the case files whilst her paced the room.

'Yeah but if we're honest he was never that much of a suspect was he? I mean he doesn't have a link to any of the other victims.'

'That's what we need Booth, we need to find that link.'

'There isn't one, we've been through this. Cullen gave me four agents just to find that link and figure out the whole number thing and we've still got nothing. Maybe they were just random killings.'

She looked up at him.

'No, these murders were planned, rationalised, thought out down to the last detail. it's the same every time. Three bodies, three identical cracks on the hyoid. Me and Angela have run the pattern through the angelator, they're a perfect math every time, do you know how rare that is?'

'I'm guessing very rare.'

She nodded.

'For the crack or fracture to be the same the killer would have to kill from exactly the same position and angle in relation to the body, using the same ligature, applying the same force…for crying out loud the killer seems to have even accounted for the victims struggling. Then calmly and collectedly he has taken the time to neatly cut away the skin covering the skull and etch a set of perfectly carved numbers into the bone using the same blade and precision every time.'

'Maybe that the flaw then, the killer takes his time. I mean typically serial killers get more extravagant as time goes on right, eventually they'll slip and they'll be caught in the act…'

'I don't know, that doesn't seem to be the case this time, like I said all three killings have been almost exactly the same, the only thing that's different is the victim and the setting. There's no evidence of these killings becoming more daring, more extravagant, if anything they'll get calmer.'

'How do you mean?'

'Well think about it, if the killer is using exactly the same technique…practice makes perfect and all that…the killer should just get more efficient at it. For example on Deborah Kerns body there was a collection of particulates that we're assuming came from the killers clothes, it hasn't helped but it was something, on Anna Swanstone's body there wasn't anything apart from the soil we found and the natural fibres we'd expect to find in the area she was found.'

Booth ran a hand over his face and dropped into the chair in front of her.

'If this guy is going to kill again then we need to work out when, where and who.'

She looked at him grimly.

'Its never that easy though is it. Without knowing what those numbers mean we don't stand a very good chance of working out the pattern of these killing.'

Booth nodded sharply and stood up, walking towards the door to exit his office.

'Where are you going?'

He turned back to his partner.

'To see Cullen.'

'Why?'

He smiled tightly.

'To ask him for five agents instead of four.'

Temperance groaned once again and squeezed her eyes tight shut in an attempt to ignore the time on her clock: 1:38am, even she knew this was not the best time or way to start your Friday. A quick calculation told her she'd been in bed little over two hours and this was the third time she had been woken. She pushed herself from the bed, her feet feeling the slight chill of the night-cooled carpet beneath her. Softly she padded through the moonlit apartment towards the spare room where a very unhappy Toby lay bawling his eyes out in his cot.

'Shhh…shhh…come on, it cant be that bad.'

She leant down, stifling a yawn as she scooped the youngster up and hoisted him over her shoulder, carrying his from the room and in the living area, settling on the couch. She laid the boy on her lap and stared down at him with tired eyes.

'Come on Toby, I mean I know I'm not your mums best friend but give me a break, please.'

Toby seemed not to have heard her and certainly didn't understand her as his crying continued.

'Toby, please, I'm no good at this kind of this, I don't know what you want.'

She rubbed at her eyes with one hand, balancing the baby on her knee with the other. It was all starting to get a bit too much, the case was at a dead end which meant that Tempe was working late which meant Toby wasn't getting settled which meant Toby wasn't sleeping which meant Temperance wasn't sleeping which meant she wasn't concentrating at work which meant she was struggling with the case which meant the case was at a dead end. She shushed the baby soothingly again but with no effect.

'I don't get it, I fed you, I changed you, you have your stupid teddy thing, what more do you want?'

She seemed to temporarily forget that the child of mere months old was unable to manipulate speech yet and grew irritated when the answer didn't appear to her, tears of frustration dripping onto Toby's baby grow from her chin. She did the only thing she could do in times of desperation…she reached for the phone.

It rang four times before he answered with a groggy hello.

'Booth? It's…its me. Sorry I'm calling so late, I just didn't know what else to do.'

'What is it? What's wrong? Are you ok?'

'No'

With that one word she burst into tears and spluttered her way through and explanation whilst Booth listened patiently. Twenty minutes later he was at her door. He thought about knocking but considering the late hour thought that Temperance's neighbours probably wouldn't appreciate the gesture. Instead he let himself in with the spare key and made his way to the living room yet again, only mildly surprised to find her dosing on the couch, Toby sleeping in her arms. He must have breathed too loudly or something since the moment her attempted to step closer to her her eyes snapped open and she jolted forward. He moved to sit beside her on the couch, his hand moving to her back, rubbing gentle circles on the small patch of skin revealed by her small cami top.

'I shouldn't have fallen asleep, I shouldn't have fallen asleep, I shouldn't have fallen asleep, I shouldn't have…'

'Shhh, its ok, you were tired…'

'Its not ok, what if something had happened?'

'Nothing happened.'

'But it could have, it was only a few minutes I swear but I could have rolled over and suffocated him or he could have fell out of my arms or someone could have come in or…or…'

'Temperance stop this. Its late, you are exhausted and nothing happened so come on. Bed.'

She looked down at Toby as if trying to ascertain if any harm had come to him in the few short minutes she had been asleep. Apparently satisfied she smiled a little but bloodshot eyes and the purplish shadow beneath them were all too evident for Booths liking who ignored her protests as he lifted Toby from her arms and walked away. He checked the baby was sleeping calmly before walking back to the living room to collect his girlfriend and partner who was once again asleep on the couch. He smiled softly at her gentle breathing and scooped her up without complaint, not hearing anything from her except for the soft labouring og her breathing until he had her settled in her bed and had slipped in beside her then finally just as he was falling asleep himself, her familiar feel and comforting smell surrounding him, he caught he final sleepy whispers of the night.

__

'It really was only a few minutes…'

* * *

**Ok there you go then, everyone say awwww lol and press the little lilac button :)**


	20. Non scholar,,, We learn,,,

**Ok, you've all been wonderful so here's the next part, I already have chapter 21 written so I'll get that us asap**

**Chapter 20**

**Non scholar sed vitae discimus - We learn not for school but for life**

Temperance woke confused and fuzzy over the previous nights events. She remembered coming home, she remembered getting a headache over the case, she remembered going to bed, she remembered getting up with Toby…then she remembered getting up and calling Booth…

'Oh God, Booth.'

She was talking to thin air as she rolled over, not overly surprised to be met on the other side of the bed with an empty space…a warm space but an empty one. She jumped out of bed and followed the noises emanating from her kitchen. It was there she came across Toby…and Booth…Toby and Booth. The scene was so foreign yet heart-warming that tears slipped from her eyes as she watched Booth feed Toby as he hummed to him. She recognised the tune as 'Keep on trying' and wondered why he had chosen that particular song. She wiped her cheeks and grinned broadly as Booth turned to her.

'Morning Bones.'

He walked across the kitchen and kissed the top of her head as she took Toby from him.

'Morning. Teaching him new songs are we?'

He smiled and sipped at the coffee that had appeared in his hand.

'Well it's a good song.'

She didn't reply, they'd said it before. She simply nodded and took the bottle Booth had deposited on the side to finish Toby's feed.

'So sleep well?'

'Yes, very well thanks to you.'

'Well I do live to serve.'

She grinned and kissed him, taking his hand and glancing at his watch as she pulled away.

'Oh God. Why didn't you tell me it was that late!'

She moved to exit the kitchen, Toby still happily attached to his bottle. Booth halted her with his voice.

'You're erm…not going to work.'

Temperance turned slowly and spoke with steady deliberate words as she glared at him.

'What do you mean 'I'm not at work today'?'

Booth stepped closer to her and lifted Toby and the bottle from her arms as though preparing for the fallout his actions could have.

'Well, we have no leads on the case…and you were exhausted…so…'

'So…?

'So I gave Angela a call and you have the day off, so do I.'

He braced himself for impact but surprisingly the onslaught of havoc he had been expecting never came as she simmered down and answered with a rather redundant 'oh'.

'You're not mad?'

'No. I should be but I'm not. You're right, the case isn't exactly going well and we could probably use the break.'

Booth brightened immediately.

'I'm glad you said that because Parkers school has a training day. Becca is working so I have him for the day and I was rather hoping you and Toby would join us for a day at the park.'

'A day out…with Toby…and Parker?'

'Yes Bones as scary as the concept may be that is what I'm suggesting.'

Temperance seemed to mentally weigh up the pro's and cons before nodding.

'Sure, ok, what time are you getting Parker?'

'Rosa is watching him until ten so I have twenty minutes.'

'Ok, I'll get dressed and sort Toby then how about you pick us up on your way back, that'll be easier than walking with the pram.'

'Sounds good to me.'

He downed his coffee, kissed her and said his goodbyes with the promise to pick her up in an hour. In the meantime she padded her way towards what had become 'Toby's room' and wondered what exactly it was a three month old baby wore to the park.

* * *

Fifty minutes later Temperance ducked her head and slid into the front seat of the SUV, careful not to jostle a settled Toby in her arms. Outside Booth was attempting to manhandle Toby's pram into the back, much to Tempe's amusement. Toby shifted but stayed silent as he glanced up at her with his dark eyes as she buckled herself in, her hand brushing the periwinkle blue of his sleeper suit.

'Who's that?'

The loud demanding voice coming from the back of the vehicle brought Parker to her attention for the first time. She turned to Booths son and smiled at him. Parker smiled back but his eyes were still trained on the infant in her arms with and intense curiosity.

'Hi Parker.'

'Hi Tempe, we're going to the park.'

'I know.'

This was still unfamiliar territory for her, conversing with Booth's son, but it was becoming easier. She enjoyed the boys company and could appreciate his youthful enthusiasm and innocence as a welcome distraction from the harsh brutality of her work. She now understood the pleasure and reassurance Booth took from his son and the very fat that the younger Booth male was an exact replica of his father didn't hurt either.

Booth entered the car with a frown on his face and Temperance wondered just how much trouble the pushchair had been. He started up the SUV and they were halfway down the road before Parker voiced his question again.

'Who's that?'

He pointed to the baby again.

'Parker don't point and sit back whilst I'm driving.'

Parker dropped his hand, shuffled backwards on his booster seat and adopted a sulky expression at his fathers rebuke. Temperance bit back a giggle and answered him.

'His name is Toby.'

'Is he yours?'

Temperance blushed.

'No, I'm taking care of him for his mom for a while.'

'Why? Did his mom not want him? Was he naughty?'

'No he wasn't naughty. His mommy isn't very well so I'm just taking care of him until she's better.'

'When will she be better?'

'I don't know Parker, in a few months maybe.'

'Does he cry a lot?'

Temperance's lips curved into a dry smile.

'Yes Parker, he certainly cries more than you.'

'I never cry, I'm all grown up and daddy says big boys don't cry.'

She glanced across to Booth who shrugged, his eyes trained on the road as they neared the park.

'Can he play?'

'He's a bit little really Parker, he pretty much just sleeps.'

'Oh. Do you like him?'

Why was it children always knew the best questions to ask? Did she like Toby?

'Yeah I suppose he's ok.'

The car jerked to a stop.

'Ok gang, everyone out.'

Parker squealed and wriggled to be free of his restraints. Booth hopped out and went round to the back to let the bouncy five year old out. Booth then moved towards the back and unloaded the pram, unfolding it and turning to Temperance who placed Toby inside and took hold of the handle. To her surprise Parker placed his smaller hand beside hers and looked up at her expectantly.

'Err…'

Booth placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

'Come on.'

He took hold of his sons other hand and together the four of them entered the park.

* * *

Temperance stretched her legs and leaned back against the bark of the tree behind her, one hand threaded between blades of sweet green grass, the other grasping the bottom of Toby's pram, rocking it gently as the infant slept. She watched as in the distance Booth lifted Parker from the monkey bars, throwing the giggling boy over his shoulder and swinging him round whilst Parker screamed his protests. Temperance smiled. It was good to see Booth like this. Just lately she had rarely seen him as carefree as he was right now. It would be all to easy to blame that on Cam but in truth neither one of them had been carefree or even truly happy for a few weeks now. Ever since the trial.

It was almost two months since Temperance's father had gone to trial and she had been forced to watch as her partner provided the evidence that resulted in the thirty-two year sentence her father was now serving. They both knew he was lucky. The sentence was lenient to say the least but at his age they both also knew he'd probably never get to enjoy the park or freedom like they were again in his lifetime. She had to hand it to Booth, he'd been brilliant during the case, a doting partner, the perfect friend, and attentive lover. And she'd played the strong willed daughter, the brave-faced anthropologist and the forgiving victim as she'd watched her partner take the stand.

They'd both pretended it had been ok. It was just his job, he didn't have a choice, if he didn't have to he wouldn't and she'd maintained that he was after all a criminal who deserved to be punished and she couldn't excuse that. However the words just didn't ring true anymore and after the trial the pair had slowly begun to distance themselves from each other. It wasn't visible, not even to Angela's hawk-eyed perception but they had both known it was happening. They were no longer able to talk to each other, to share their problems. She thought back to what she had said more than a week ago after she had finally revealed Cam's request:

__

'Are you blaming me for this?'

'No, of course I'm not. You just haven't been the easiest person to talk to lately.'

'Are you saying I've not been there for you?'

'Well I wasn't but now you mention it, yes that exactly what I'm saying. I don't know what's happened Booth but just lately…oh I don't know.'

But she had known, she had known the wedge her fathers case had driven between them, they both had and they were both equally to blame for letting it happen. There had never been any real friction, no arguments, no fights, there was just this permanent tension between the pair. That seemed to have lifted a little she thought as she watched Booth chase his son past the jungle-gym. With another problem to focus on, namely Cam and her son, the spark seemed to be back in their relationship and she found herself content yet again to just be with him. From her point of view they seemed to have faced their first silent hurdle as a couple and as far as she could tell had emerged from it relatively unscathed.

'TEMPE!'

Parker leapt onto the blanket at her side, Booth jogging slowly to catch up with him. Parker scooted closer to Brennan's side and she ruffled his hair, surprised when Parker pulled himself onto her lap. Booth grinned and settled himself next to his girlfriend, leaning back against the same tree.

'Tempe do all babies cry?'

She smiled. They were back to the questions.

'Yeah Parker, pretty much all of them cry.'

'Lots?'

'Yeah they cry lots but like I said, they grow out of it eventually.'

'If babies can't play what do they do?'

'Well even though they can't play like you, they can't play catch or run around or play computer games, they do like toys.'

'What kinds of toys?'

'Coloured things like building block and chew rings.'

Seeley jumped in to question his son.

'Why this sudden interest in what babies do Bub? Toby wont be staying that long.'

'I know daddy but I need to know it all so that when mommy has her baby I can be a good brother.'

Time seemed to stand still as Parker stood up to peer into Toby's pram and Temperance turned to her partner as he took in this newest piece of information. Rebecca was pregnant, she was having another child. Temperance wondered for the millionth time whether if fate existed it truly wanted her and Seeley to be together, after all coupled with Toby Rebecca's pregnancy was just another harsh reminder of his future as a father to just one. She knew the irrational guilt she was feeling must be pooling in her eyes but Booth either didn't notice or chose not to comment on it as he looked past her and stared intently at his son as if contemplating whether or not Rebecca's baby could ever be as perfect as they child they already shared.

* * *

Parker had gone back to his mothers later that afternoon and when Rebecca had come to the door Temperance had watched from the car as her and Booth exchanged words, no doubt with regards as to her pregnancy. Booth came back to the car tense and for a few moments simply sat there, not talking as Temperance watched him.

'Are you ok?'

Finally he sighed and turned to her, a weak smile painted across his features.

'You know what, I think I am. It was a shock but I…I'm happy for her, her and Drew.'

Temperance smiled and nodded. He was being sincere but she knew this wasn't easy for him. The drive back to her apartment was short and almost silent, with only Toby's breathing audible within the SUV. She wasn't sure what to say to him, how best to comfort him. However when they had reached the apartment and Toby was settled Booth turned to leave and all of a sudden Temperance knew the one word she wanted to say.

'Stay.'


	21. Dona nobis pacem, Give us peace

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**Dona nobis pacem - Give us peace**

For the last forty eight hours Temperance had been wrapped in the bliss of a Saturday and Sunday with Booth all to herself…well herself and Toby. She wasn't about to lie, Friday at the park with Parker had been great but it had been a long time since they had done anything alone. The pair had spent the time at her apartment, just together, playing games, talking and generally being a couple. As mundane as it had been it had been good for them and later that night as the pair had fallen into bed it had been easy to forget that a world outside the apartment existed.

The world outside rudely came calling early on Monday morning. Very early.

It was the incessant knocking that woke them before Toby's screams. Temperance groaned as she turned to glance at the digital clock on the table beside her, the time of ten past two glaring at her in mocking red neon. She climbed groggily from the bed, dragging on her robe as she went and was about to head down the hallway to sooth Toby's cries when she heard the voice behind her.

'You go get the door, I'll get him.'

She turned and realised slightly sheepishly that in her sleepy haze she had forgotten Booth was even there. She smiled gratefully and headed from the room towards the front door. She rubbed her eyes as she fumbled with the keys but became wide awake the minute she opened the door.

'Michael! What are you…?'

He pushed his way past her into the apartment and turned to her. Her eyes swept quickly over his dishevelled appearance and the tired lines that had appeared on his face since the last time she had seen him.

'Michael, now's really not the best…'

'Tempe I don't think he's going to go back to sleep, if you want I'll…'

Booth stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of Michael. He jiggled Toby onto his shoulder, a half empty bottle still in his free hand. Temperance wrapped her robe more tightly around herself and wished, she was willing to wager not for the last time, that it wasn't two in the morning. Michael nodded towards Booth, eliciting a grim look and something that was more of a twitch than a nod.

'Agent Booth.'

'Mr. Stires, Michael…you know every time I see you I like you less.'

Temperance observed the exchange and watched as Toby wriggled on Booths shoulder. She strode quickly from the doorway and took the baby from him, pacing to the sofa where she placed him in the Moses-basket at her side and proceeded to rock him gently. She rubbed her eyes and stared up at the ex-lover currently standing in her living room who was still being avidly watched by her current partner.

'So, I take it you're together now then?'

'Yes, got a problem with that?'

'Booth…'

He backed off at the soft warning tone in her voice and sat next to her with Toby between them.

'So does that mean the kids yours?'

'No'

'Definitely not.'

'He's not ours.'

'We're just watching him for a friend.'

Michael smiled a little and took an uninvited seat opposite her and Booth.

'Taking in waifs and strays again? Same old Tempe.'

'No Michael, very different 'Tempe'.'

Michael rolled his eyes a little.

'Riiiight.'

'Look Michael. Its late, I'm tired and we both have work in the morning, I'm assuming you do too so cant this wait?'

'No, I wish it could. Its about Phoebe.'

'Phoebe.'

Michael watched her for a minute as her tired mind sifted through her mental catalogue of the people she knew. He watched as comprehension dawned but only Booth noticed the brief look of pain that flashed across her features.

'Phoebe? Our…my…your Phoebe?'

Michael ran a tired hand across his face.

'Yeah Phoebe. Look I guess I should probably start from the beginning.'

'Yeah that would be good.'

'Booth. Not helping.'

He settled back onto the sofa, his arms folded across his chest.

'Michael, go on.'

'I've been up all night wondering whether or not to come here. I wasn't going to. I know Phoebe isn't the best topic between us but she…she's dead Tempe.'

'What? How?'

'That's why I had to come. I didn't know if you'd want to know about Phoebe, didn't know if you'd care…'

'Don't you dare Michael, not now.'

Booths eyes flashed from one to the other and was relieved that Toby was at least being quiet at last.

'Sorry I didn't mean…oh God this is such a mess. I've been doing some work at the coroners office…two days ago a body came in…it was Phoebe.'

Temperance sighed, her head resting in her hand, Booths hand automatically falling to her shoulder in silent comfort.

'I haven't seen her in so long, not since… How did it happen?'

'That's sort of why I'm here. Before we knew it was her I was the investigations forensic officer on her case. When I examined the body we had hardly anything to go on. She didn't struggle, there were no defensive wounds, no broken bones…no signs of sexual interference. The only thing we did have is the hyoid, cracked in two places, no obvious weapon. Then came the real kicker, a series of number etched into her skull…'

Booth and Brennan exchanged quick knowing glances.

'That's when I heard about your case, with the numbers.'

Booth leaned forward.

'That's a confidential case, how did you get wind of it?'

'From a very reliable source.'

'He means my lab assistant Jennifer Myers. They're sleeping together.'

'I'm impressed, he really has turned you into a detective.'

'It wasn't exactly hard Michael, she likes to talk, Angela told me.'

'Does it bother you?'

She nodded towards Booth.

'Does it look like it bothers me?'

Michael took in their state of relative undress and noted the baby seated between them and the fact that Booth coat was on the hook by the door but couldn't resist one last dig.

'Phoebe bothered you.'

'We're not doing this Michael, not now, not tonight ok. Not again.'

He held up his hands in surrender.

'Ok, ok I get it. I just thought that you should know about it, from what I hear you have a serial killer on your hands and Phoebe matches the description of your killers M.O.'

'Ok…thanks I guess.'

'You're welcome, you'd find out anyway, when I cant determine an exact cause of death the federal court will take the case anyway. I just thought you should know first, you know, considering everything.'

'Yeah, thanks Michael.'

She sighed and he knew it was time to leave.

'I'll see myself out, you should probably both get some sleep.'

'So should you.'

'Yeah well…see you soon?'

'I'll…I'll be in touch.'

'Sure Tempe. Bye Booth.'

He was moving to the door when Temperance's brain offered up something approaching a logical thought.

'Michael!'

He turned.

'Do her family know? Have you told Phoebe's parents yet?'

'Err no, I err thought I leave that one to you.'

He left her with oddly sympathetic smile before leaving the apartment, Booth voice caused Temperance to turn back to him.

'I never did like that guy.'

* * *

**Ok so this is the bit where I beg you all to review lol**


	22. De mortuis aut,,,Speak well,,,

****

Disclaimer: I dont own Bones

* * *

Chapter 22

De mortuis aut bene aut nihil - Speak well of the dead or not at all

'Its just not working Bren'.'

Temperance turned away from her friend and stared at the glowing image before her. She rubbed her eyes a little and pushed away the wave of tiredness that threatened her.

'Maybe I missed something.'

'I don't think so. We just need to look at this a different way.'

Angela's words were gentle and enthusiastic but Temperance wasn't as optimistic. They had been running through the simulation to identify the murder weapon used to strangle Debbie, Hannah and Anna and although they had been at it for almost three hours now were no closer to their goal.

'I don't know what else we can do, this just isn't working.'

'I know, I hate to say it but I just don't think the Angelator is going to help this time, sorry Bren.'

'It's ok, we'll just have to give the old fashioned method a shot.'

'Old fashioned method?'

'I'll put it this way, it involves half a pot of modelling clay and about three days at my desk. Even then we'll only have visual aid, it wont solve this case unless we can identify it.'

Angela shot her friend a sympathetic look. Temperance stifled a yawn.

'Still tired? You should have taken some more time off.'

'I cant afford to have more time off, this case is complicated enough as it is. We're three weeks in with no suspects or even a lead, I cant afford to take more time off. Then there's the whole Michael issue now…'

Angela nodded in understanding, having heard about his late night visit earlier that morning from Temperance herself.

'When are the remains being delivered?'

'Soon probably, Booth's escorting them over. When I spoke to Michael earlier he was just trying to sort out the release forms. I'm pretty sure he wants rid of this case as much as I don't want it.'

She sighed, leaning against the table of the Angelator as digital images swirled before her eyes.

'So erm…whats the deal with this Phoebe then?'

Temperance turned to her friend and Angela noticed how pale she looked. The dark circles beneath her eyes had deepened since Friday and her lips were tight and slightly chapped. Her hair didn't sway with its usual finesse but rather hung limply at her shoulders and her eyes seemed dull and void of the sparkle they usually held. Angela made a mental note to encourage the anthropologist to take more time off, maybe to see if she could look after Toby some time.

'I…its complicated Ang…'

Angela resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That was code for 'I don't want to talk about it' if ever she'd heard it.

'Ok sweetie but, you know if it ever becomes less complicated, I'm here, to talk.'

Temperance smiled.

'Thanks Angela.'

The door opened and both women turned to see who had disturbed them.

'Hey Bones, body's here.'

She noted the soft tone of Booths voice and knew he was probably as edgy as she was, although in her opinion she had more reason. She turned to him wearily and nodded.

'Did Michael come?'

'No.'

She nodded again, she wasn't surprised. She followed Booth from the room towards the main platform where technicians had huddled together in the anticipation of unpacking the labs newest set of remains. Temperance paused at the base of the platform and Booth glanced sideways at her as she steeled herself for what she was about to bare witness to. She swiped her card and moved her way towards the table that was now occupied by a crude metal transport coffin. She pushed her way through the gaggle of technicians and snatched at the paperwork beside the grey box. The details were simple and she was reminded once more of just how much the final act of death reduces and diminishes the grandness of life. She turned to the other people on and around the platform, her voice was calm but firm and Booth shuffled on the spot, leaning against the railing as her tone unnerved him slightly.

'Everybody out.'

'What?'

It was one of the younger assistants that had spoken, a leggy blond who's name-tag identified her as a Miss. J. Myers. Something clicked inside Booths head and he noted her down mentally as the woman who had supplied Michael Stires with his Oh-So-Accurate information. Booth watched as Temperance turned her icy blues on the younger woman in a cool stare.

'I said everyone out. Everyone who doesn't absolutely need to be here I want you to leave the lab, this should be treated as a secure scene.'

'Well what exactly do you mean by having to 'absolutely be here'?'

It was the lovely Miss Myers again. Booth watched Temperance's eyes shift slightly in colouring as her temper flared and he stepped forward to intervene. Surprisingly thought he wasn't the first to step towards the young lab assistant in defence of the anthropologist.

'She means not you.'

Zach's voice held a confidence not often present as he defended his old teacher and mentor. Jennifer looked as though she was about to argue. Booth stepped forward.

'Dr. Brennan would like the area cleared.'

He dropped his voice.

'I suggest you leave now.'

Jennifer's lips quivered in defiance before she flicked her hair and flounced from the platform, the rest of the now thoroughly entertained lab employees following her out of the lab until only Brennan, Booth, Zach, Hodgins, Angela and the body of Phoebe Conners remained. Temperance breathed deeply and turned to her colleagues.

'Ok, so we treat this exactly the same as any other case ok. Until we've determined otherwise these remains are completely unrelated to any other death. We ignore Michaels findings for now and try to be objective, we start from scratch.'

'What about the ID, I mean do we assume Michael was right or do we do that again.'

Temperance's forehead creased as she turned to Angela.

'I think…I think we should assume Michael was on the right track and rather than try to find a name we should attempt to disprove the name we already have, that means visual recognition, see if the tissue markers match any photographs we have of the presumed victim. Just do your best to see if you agree with Michaels findings on the ID.'

Angela nodded and Hodgins spoke.

'Do we know how decomposed the remains are, I mean what are our chances bug-wise?'

'I don't know Jack. By all accounts the identification was relatively easy so…I'm assuming…I think the remains are relatively intact but we err…we'll probably have to strip the bones for identification purposes anyway.'

Exhaling she glanced at Zach who nodded at her and reached for the electric screwdriver. The sound of the metal screws turning quickly at they exited the metal lid of the transport coffin echoed through the lab until the final screw was out and a faint 'pop' announced the box was open. Brennan snapped on a fresh pair of gloves, stepping forward and moving the metal sheet concealing the remains. Then the pair gingerly grabbed at the handles and lifted the tray containing the remains from the box and placed them onto a nearby autopsy table.

'Ok, everyone ready? Photographs from the scene where the remains were found are in the file and we can only assume that any original visual evidence was destroyed or removed in the original examination but I still want to do this properly so Zach can you take a few shots as we remove the covering.'

Zach nodded again, having already grabbed the camera, and leaned forward as Temperance fingered at the plastic sheet covering the remains. She peeled them back slowly, Zach's camera clicking the only sound to fill the room. Then she straightened herself to peer down at the remains as the rest of the group stepped a little closer to aid their own view.

The remains were not as decomposed as she had expected, muscle layers and dermis still present in most places. It was easy for Temperance to see now how it had been easy for Michael to identify the remains as the friend they had once shared. She still looked the same. Even with her skin tinted a dirty brown, black, blue or missing in places it was unmistakably her. Her eyes were closed, the sunken lids indicating the absence of the bottle green eyes Temperance knew should reside there. Her hair had darkened with age rather than lightened and it was odd to see it settled behind the young woman's corpse against the harsh shine of the table rather than swirled up into the carefree up-do Tempe knew it had frequented. Temperance's hand gripped the edge of the table, the cool metal soothing her as images both good and bad bombarded her in an assault on her memory.

__

Hello Phoebe.

She turned to the others.

'I…I think Zach should do this one.'

'But Dr. Brennan are you…'

'I'm sure Zach, it'll be fine…I just…I cant…'

Booth stepped towards her, his hand settling on her shoulder.

'Its ok Bones, we get it.'

__

No you don't, how can you.

'I'm going to review the file. Zach you know the drill, record everything, no matter how trivial.'

Zach nodded once more, still seemingly dazed at the fact her was being abandoned on a case his mentor seemed to feel so strongly about. Temperance took one last look at her friends before snatching up the folder that had arrived with the remains and turning towards her office.


	23. De nobis,,, Their story is,,,

****

Disclaimer: Dont own them

* * *

Chapter 23

De nobis fabula narrator - Their story is our story

The coroners file was small, the familiarity of Michaels neat handwriting bouncing from each of the seven short pages as Temperance read over them in the dimmed light of her office. She was at page three before Booth entered the room and interrupted.

'Are you ok?'

She appreciated his concern but it wasn't what she wanted right now.

'I'm fine.'

'Don't give me that Bones, I know there's a story here.'

'I don't want to talk about it, its complicated.'

Booth had heard it all before and wasn't about to give up.

'You knew the victim didn't you.'

'If by the victim you mean Phoebe Conners then yes I knew the victim.'

She flicked over to page four.

'How well did you know her?'

'We went to college together.'

'Come on Bones, you were more than classmates. There's a picture of you in the police report for crying out loud.'

That had her attention as pages one to four fluttered from her hand and flicked back to settle on the desk.

'I am?'

'You are, and in my opinion you look a bit more than acquaintances.'

'Can I see it, the picture I mean?'

'Here.'

Booth unhooked the six by four photograph from the paperclip that tied it to the folder in his hand and passed it to her. Temperance took the picture and ran her eyes across its entirety, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Michael had taken the picture, she knew that for a fact and remembered the day well. A trip to the beach he had enthusiastically suggested, Phoebe had told her it would be fun, it had been. It seemed odd to be staring at an almost decade old image of herself, her eyes a little bluer, her hair a little lighter but it was even odder to observe the image of the other young woman, a woman she hadn't seen or heard from in so long, who's arms were around Temperance's own shoulders in the photograph, who's mouth was wide open in a rapturous laughter that 'photo-Tempe' seemed to share. Temperance was brought back to the real world as she remembered that that woman was now lying on a slab not twenty feet away, never to give another hug, to share another laugh.

'You look happy there.'

Temperance looked up at Booth.

'We were.'

The way she had said those words seemed to almost urge Booth on as he settled in the seat in front of her desk, the case file settling neatly beside the coroners report.

'What happened Temperance.'

She sighed and for a moment he doubted his own expectations that she would tell him her link to the corpse they had both seen only minutes earlier.

'Temperance…I don't know what happened between you two but whatever it was I need to know.'

'I'm pretty sure I'm not a suspect.'

Her voice was serious, completely lacking of even the occasional dry wit or humour he sometimes heard.

'No but if you were important enough to have a picture in the case file then…look Bones, I just want to know happened, I want to know what she was like and I want to know what makes your link so special that Michael felt the need to come and see you at two in the morning.'

His voice was still even and soft but she knew his patience was wearing thin and with another little sigh finally relented to the truth.

'We were friends, best friends, she was one of the first real friends I'd had. I…God it was all so long ago now…'

'Just try Bones. Tell me how you met.'

'I was in the second year of my doctorate, we were paired as lab partners and we were pretty much instant friends. She was my opposite I suppose, carefree, fun-loving with tons of people willing to be her friend and yet…and yet she chose to spend her time with me. It started out as just working together, researching for classes or revising for mid-terms but soon it was more, we became friends. By the summer term we were sharing a room and I was telling her everything, even about my parents. That first Christmas she stayed with me instead of going home to her parents. We spent the whole day just lounging around in our pyjamas and eating ice-cream, she said it was one of the best Christmases she'd ever had, I had to agree.'

'She sounded nice.'

Brennan ran her thumb over the photograph one more time before letting it drop to the table.

'She was.'

'So what happened?'

'Life happened, school happened, our futures happened. You want a list?'

'No I want the one single reason why this is hurting you so much…and I want to know why for you and Michael it was 'our Phoebe'.

'You really want to know what happened?'

'I want the truth.'

'Michael happened, that's the truth.'

'You're going to have to give me a little more than that Bones.'

'We were six months from graduating when I started seeing Michael. It was one of the single biggest mistakes in the whole of my life.'

The regret in her voice saddened him and he listened for more.

'Phoebe had encouraged both of us, she knew I liked him and once we were together she helped us to find every possible opportunity to spend time together. Relationships between pupils and staff were strictly forbidden of course. I was in my twenties with a mind of my own and just a few months from being independent in the world of anthropology but that didn't change the rules. Phoebe helped us, acted as lookout, lied for us, gave excuses. She couldn't have been more helpful. I suppose I should have seen it coming.'

'Seen what coming?'

Temperance exhaled, her eyes now focused firmly on her desk.

'Two weeks after I graduated I went for a job interview. It went terribly and I knew I hadn't got it. I was miserable and depressed and I was pretty sure Michael was the only one who could cheer me up.'

Booth tensed at the thought of the various ways in which the knowledgeable Michael Stires could 'cheer her up' but she either didn't notice or simply ploughed on regardless.

'If I could change one thing about that day it would be using my key. I never did normally. When Michael had given me the key to his apartment I'd insisted I'd never use it. It was too much, it defined us as a couple and I didn't like that but I guess my rejection at the interview and the two vodka tonics I'd had before going over there dulled my better judgement. I used my key without knocking and let myself in. Michael's jacket was on the hook, his keys on the table but I couldn't see him so…so I went looking for him.'

Booth had a terrible feeling he knew what was going to come next and wished he could spare her the feelings of reliving it.

'I caught them…together…in his bed…Michael and Phoebe.'

Booth closed his eyes and resisted the urge to comfort her, if he was going to hear this story he wanted it all.

'Then what happened?'

'All hell broke loose. It all happened so fast, there was screaming…mostly on my part…and I remember Phoebe crying. She said she hadn't meant it to happen, that it was only the once. I didn't care. The last thing I remember about that night was screaming that I hated them both and wished them dead before I left the apartment. Needless to say the next morning I woke up with the mother of all hangovers.'

'But you and Michael…?'

'He came to see me the next day and begged forgiveness. I gave it to him and our relationship dragged on for another year and a half but it was never the same. A couple of on-off flings since and weak moments aside we were never going to make it as a couple, I cant trust him and he never loved me, not really. We were bad for each other in all the best and worst ways.'

Booth couldn't help but be a little pleased.

'And Phoebe?'

Temperance shook her head.

'I was too young and too stupid to see what happened for what it was, a mistake. Phoebe left a week later, went home to her family in Baltimore. She left a message on my machine saying how sorry she was and how she hoped I could find it in my heart to forgive her. She said she loved me like a sister and I was her best friend. Selfishly I never returned her call. Michael and I never talked about her and if I'm honest since she left I've rarely given her a second thought, I just cut her out of my life. What happened between her and Michael is just one more thing in my life I'd rather forget.'

Booth didn't speak, unsure of what to say, and minutes passed before Temperance lifted her head, her damp eyes meeting his as she spoke again.

'She died thinking I hated her. It may have been years ago but that doesn't change things. She wanted my forgiveness and I denied her. She was my best friend and she'll never know how important she was to me. What's worse, the last words I ever spoke to her were full of malice and resentment and cruel sentiments I didn't mean. I told her I hated her Seeley. I said I wanted her to die…I didn't hate her Booth…I swear I didn't hate her…I didn't want that…and now…and now…'

This time Booth moved to comfort her as the floodgates opened. He stepped round the desk and tugged her out of her chair and into his waiting arms where she gently sobbed, her throat aching and her damp cheeks stinging from the tears whilst he whispered words of condolence and affection in her ear. Ten minutes later, tears gone and her determined attitude firmly back in place she had just one thing left to say.

'We're going to find whoever did this Booth. We're going to find them and I am personally going to make them pay for what they've done to these women… I owe her that…'

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**Well, there you go, r&r if you love me...or err if you just want more story lol**


	24. Credo quia,,,I believe it because,,,

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Disclaimer : I dont own Bones

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Chapter 24 

Credo quia absurdum est - I believe it because it is absurd 

Temperance tied her hair up, straightened her lab coat at the door and exited her office, heading towards the platform where her younger counterpart was currently hard at work on the supposed remains of Phoebe Conners.

'Ok Zach, what have we got?'

It was early the next morning and Zach was currently staring at Temperance as though he was surprised at being spoken to, the freshly cleaned bones gleaming in front of him.

'I…err…I…'

Brennan smiled.

'Just start from the beginning Zach. The basics, age, sex, race, cause of death if you have it…'

Zach nodded, exhaling as he stepped round the table to talk to his superior.

'Victim is a Caucasian female, I'm putting age at 29-33. Cause of death is…well, the same again.'

'We never assume it's the same, we take the fact and then compare, in your professional opinion do the stress factures on the hyoid bone of this victim match any other cases you've worked on.'

Zach nodded.

'Its my opinion that the fracture patterns on this victim match that of the other three cases we've recently been working on.'

'Ok Zach, that's great work. Have you found anything for Hodgins?'

Zach nodded again.

'I passed it all on yesterday before I went home. He said he should have something for you by the end of the day.'

'Right, ok thanks Zach. Keep looking but I think we can pretty much assume Michaels report found everything else.'

Zach murmured his agreement before Temperance turned and headed in the direction of Angela's office.

'You wanted to see me?'

Angela turned to her friend from her spot in the middle of the room.

'Yeah, I have confirmation of the identification. It is Phoebe Conners.'

'You're positive?'

'As I can be, I haven't had a chance to match the dentals yet because Zach has been lording over the remains.'

Angela rolled her eyes and Temperance resisted the urge to laugh at her teams antics.

'There's a visual match comparing the autopsy pictures with the photographs Booth gave me.'

'He gave you the photographs from the case file?'

Angela looked at her.

'Yeah.'

'The one with…with me?'

'It was the best one for facial recognition.'

'Right.'

'It is her Bren, sorry.'

'Don't be, now we know we can tell her family. She's not missing anymore, I suppose that's what counts.'

'I suppose.'

Angela knew things were bleak when the fact that a body had been found was good news.

'So err, what are you and Booth going to do next? I mean you have no suspects, no murder weapon, no particulates to speak of, no link between the victims…'

'Thanks for reminding me Angela, its been a whole ten minutes since I realised how hopeless this case was.'

Angela smiled.

'Sarcasm doesn't suite you sweetie. Seriously, do you two have a plan?'

'Well whatever we have I wouldn't call it a plan. We still have to talk to Phoebe's family, I…I told Booth I'd do it.'

'Are you sure that's a good idea?'

'No but its something I need to do.'

'And after that?'

'I don't know, we've interviewed everyone else we can. Hodgins might find something in the particulates from Phoebe's remains but I'm not counting on it.'

'Any break on the numbers yet?'

'No, Booths sent the details to every expert we can think of and no one knows. By all accounts they're just a random series of numbers.'

'But you don't think they're random?'

'They cant be, everything about the rest of these murders has been so precise, so exact. Why would anyone commit such a practised crime only to jeopardise it with a few random numbers, it just doesn't make sense. I think they're a message.'

'Maybe they make more sense when they're put together, do you have them written down, maybe I can help, you know, a fresh pair of eyes.'

Temperance didn't need to write them down, the pesky little numbers were ingrained in her memory.

'Deborah Kern was 4514. Hannah Sinclair had 12728. Then we have Anna Swanstone with 23637 and then finally Phoebe Conners is 1612.'

Angela scribbled the numbers down as she spoke.

'Ok, I'll take a look at them and get back to you if I find anything.'

'Thanks Angela.'

Temperance left the room, no more hopeful than earlier. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in Angela's abilities or mental capacity it was just that she was struggling to see the end of this particular case and the numbers were just one more part of her life she didn't need right now.

* * *

'Booth, why do you believe in God?'

It was later that night and Booth sat up in bed and looked down to where she lay still tangled in the covers after their most recent bout of love making

'Well that was random'

'It's something I've been thinking about for a while. I just wondered why you believed, I have reasons why I don't, its only logical for you to have reasons you do. So, why do you believe in God?'

'It's a pretty loaded question Bones.'

'I just…I've been thinking and…we're a couple and…I want to understand.'

He grinned. Her awkward and unwitting cuteness was endearing and just another of the many reasons he loved her.

'So will you tell me?'

As he looked at her, he eyes wide in expectation, her cheeks tinted pink from her recent exertion and her lips full in a slight pout he wondered how he could possibly ever refuse her anything.

'To be honest I've never really given the reasons much thought. I suppose in a way I'm Catholic by default. My parents are religious so I've been going to church all my life.'

'But that isn't why you believe. We don't believe in things forever just because our parents do or because they told us so. I mean for example, its not like you still believe in Father Christmas is it?'

He laughed.

'No Bones, you have a point there. I suppose…I suppose it was when I went into the army. Suddenly when your life is at risk every minute of the day you realise how much of a miracle it is that we're alive in the first place and when you make it through a day you're truly grateful. It might not seem it here, wrapped up in bed together but out there, on the front line, where death is more likely than survival it all makes sense. Somehow I couldn't help but believe that when I woke up to another morning or when I went to sleep after making it through another day I knew how special that was, how the fact that I'd made it had to be because of something I had no control over.'

Temperance watched him with cautious eyes.

'It's a trust thing Bones. The way I see it God trusted us with the planet now we have to trust him to keep us safe.'

'But what about when people aren't kept safe? Anna Swanstone was a nun but it didn't keep her safe. Thomas Kern said the family went to church every Sunday but Deborah still died. As far as I know Phoebe wasn't the holiest of people but she was still a good person so why are they dead, or Hannah Sinclair who's had a hard life already? What kind of God lets things like that happen?'

He said nothing as she settled back into his arms. He didn't have the answers and they both knew it, besides he wasn't sure he wanted the answers. Sometimes it was nice to just believe, no matter how hard that was to explain.

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**There you go...review please lol**


	25. Hortus in urbe, A garden in the city

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

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**Chapter25**

**Hortus in urbe - A garden in the city**

'Ok, come on Brennan think.'

She shook her head and stretched her legs out from beneath her. Talking to yourself is never a good sign. It was half ten on the following night and Temperance was currently stretched out on her living room floor. Her back ached from being leant against the couch and her legs were now tingling after being unfurled from beneath her. In front of her paper littered the floor amongst manila folders, their contents of photographs and lab reports spilling onto the carpet. She had been sat there for almost an hour now sifting through her copy of the case files and she was getting nowhere. She was beginning to doubt herself. Maybe the murders were random, maybe there really was no link. She wasn't convinced. Everything she had ever learnt told her that anthropologically speaking there had to be a link, a pattern, a precise method of thinking, of working.

'But what is the link?'

Her whispers flitted through the apartment and the looked up at the ceiling, stretching her neck and rubbing the tight knots from her shoulders. She groaned as a noise from the other room caught her attention.

'Not now Toby.'

The hour on her floor staring at the small print and illegible smudged writing of the case file had resulted in stiff joints and the tell-tale throbbing of a headache building behind her eyes. Toby's cries grew louder and the throbbing grew more persistent.

'Please Toby.'

She knew the baby in the other room couldn't hear her but it was worth a try. He had been asleep less than two hours and had taken an hour before that to actually settle down. The late nights and early mornings were beginning to take their toll on Temperance who finally sighed and gave in, standing up and ignoring the protests of her aching limbs as she headed to Toby's room.

'Ok, ok you win.'

She wished briefly that Booth was there with her. He always seemed to be better with the baby than she was but he had Parker and she knew that both father and son were probably already asleep after a Disney movie marathon. Toby's face was purpling in colour, his hair shiny with sweat, his eyes dark and teary. Temperance looked at him as she flicked the light on and the minute he saw her his crying stopped. If she hadn't known better she'd have said his crying had been just a ruse to get her attention or even worse simply to annoy her. She rolled her eyes as she lifted him up, his comfortable weight settling in her arms.

'Typical Saroyan.'

Toby murmured as though he was about to cry again, droplets of tears still clinging to his downy lashes.

'Come on then.'

She walked to the kitchen but he refused the bottle she offered him and wasn't soothed when she rubbed at his back. She stepped back into the living room and rocked him in front of the window but his murmuring became fully blown crying once more. She settled on the sofa and stared down at the confusing object that was the child in her arms.

'Come on Toby, help me out. What do you want?'

The infant gave her no hints as the volume of his cries increased. Temperance sighed and tried to hush him as she glanced around the room as though hoping it would offer up a solution to her current problems. The she saw it. Her solution.

'Ok Toby, come on. Me and you are going out.'

Half an hour later, with Toby bundled up in three layers of clothing and a heavy blanket snuggled in his pram and Temperance in her coat with the case files safely stowed away in the bottom of the pram the pair were heading down the street. Cars whizzed by every now and again, their headlights momentarily illuminating the woman and child on their midnight stroll. Temperance breathed in the night air, equally grateful for the lack of rain and coolness of the night. Unusually cool for July the night air bit at her fingers and cloaked her face in a soothing blanket that dissipated her headache and cleared her thoughts. Temperance stopped as she reached her destination, a small courtyard adjacent to the park not far from her apartment. She seated herself on a bench beneath the nearest street light and glanced into the pram. Toby was silent now but his bright eyes shone in the lamplight, his cheeks now pink from cold instead of tears. Temperance stroked his forehead then, once she was satisfied he was ok, she sat back and pulled the case files from the bottom of the pram and cleared her throat.

'Ok then Toby, you cant sleep, I cant sleep so you might as well help me with this.'

She glanced around but was relatively comfortable she wouldn't be overheard. Her next thought was that maybe she shouldn't be talking about this with a baby. Then she shook her head slightly, Toby wouldn't understand her anyway, it didn't really matter.

She pulled the file towards her and began to read from the notes she had made earlier that night.

'Ok, so first victim was Deborah Kern, 32 years old, a high court judge by profession. She has…or rather 'had' two daughters Abbie and Megan and an apparently doting husband. No known enemies, last seen three weeks ago, probably died the same night. C.O.D.: ligature strangling, no relevant particulates. Her body was found in an alley close to where she worked three weeks after her disappearance. Number 4514. Any thoughts?'

She looked to Toby but got nothing.

'No, I didn't think so.'

She resumed her reading.

'Right, Hannah Sinclair, 20 years old, found second but we know she actually died roughly a week before Deborah Kern. Lived in foster care for years, gave her son up for adoption, no other family and hasn't been seen or heard of for months. C.O.D. was ligature strangling, again nothing else was found from the body. Her remains were only discovered when they were sent in a box to the Hoover building, the sender couldn't be traced. Number is 12728.'

She paused for breath.

'Then we have Anna Swanstone. She was 52 years old and had lived in a nunnery since she was widowed at 35. By all accounts she was a saint and loved by everyone. Her remains were found in a local churchyard. Ligature strangling is the official C.O.D and she had no defensive wounds. Particulates were found but only those consistent with the area she was found. Only real family is a son but he lives away and hasn't seen his mother in months. Only other contact was with the caretaker who it was believed she was in love with and who everyone supposed she had run away with. He not only denies everything he has an alibi too. Her number is 23637'

Temperance looked down at Toby.

'Are you listening?'

The baby spluttered in response. Of course he wasn't listening.

'The last but not least we have Phoebe Conners, a 32 year old from Baltimore. Same cause of death. Hasn't been in contact with her family for months and appears to have no friends to speak of. Was found in a local park by a woman walking her dog. Although she was found last she was actually killed before Anna Swanstone. She's numbered as 1612.'

She took another breath and flicked over a page in the case file, rocking Toby's pram with her foot as she scanned the page.

'Its safe to assume the killer had at least some personal knowledge of the victims since the accuracy of the names matched with the numbers tell us that the killer was at least on first name terms with each victim. The victims also seem to have been carefully chosen so that, with the exception of Deborah Kern, no one would miss them.'

She tipped the page she was reading closer towards a nearby streetlight to get a better look at the images printed on it. She still couldn't ascertain what the murder weapon was and had never felt so useless on a case before. There was literally nothing more she could do. She glanced at her watch. Midnight. She sighed in frustration and slid the file back into the pram, standing up and looking down at Toby who stared back at her with drooping eyelids.

'So then, got any ideas?'

The infant stared up at her and opened his mouth in a wide yawn. Temperance rolled her eyes.

'Yeah, yeah, I get it. You have absolutely no clue whatsoever, join the club. Come on then, home time,'

She wheeled the pram round and headed off down the street in anticipation of what was sure to be yet another sleepless night.


	26. Ex scientia vera, From knowledge, truth

**Chapter 26**

**Ex scientia vera - From knowledge, truth**

'Maybe we're looking at this wrong, maybe its not a sequence as such, maybe the numbers represent letters, you know with 1 for A, 2 for B and so on.'

'Maybe, Deborah Kern with 4514 would spell D,E,A,D which I suppose makes sense but then Hannah Sinclair would be ABGBH, Anna Swanstone would have BCFCG and Phoebe Conners numbers would translate to AFAB which doesn't make any sense.'

Hodgins looked slightly crestfallen that his theory had been so quickly disproved. The whole of the gang were currently crowded around the Angelator watching as the machine only one of then really understood ran through possible explanations for the numbers.

'Anything yet Angela?'

'Not yet Sweetie, sorry. This isn't really what the Angelator was designed for.'

Temperance rubbed at her temples to ward of the headache forming there before it took hold and impaired her concentration.

'What if they're coordinates, map references relating to the place the victims were found or killed?'

This time Booth answered.

'Already checked it, they don't match up with the areas the girls were found and we know they all died in the same place.'

'Maybe they're dates?'

Temperance turned to Angela.

'And what exactly is Hannah Sinclair supposed to have done on the twelfth of July nineteen twenty eight?'

'Ok, I get it, that's not right either.'

'Maybe they are just random.'

'No, we've been through this, nothing about these murders are random, they're planned down to the last detail. Why would anyone go to the trouble of marking these numbers so precisely into the victims skulls if they didn't mean anything? It just doesn't make sense.'

'Well we are dealing with a homicidal maniac here Bones, I'm pretty sure its not supposed to hake sense.'

Brennan glared at her partner.

'Maybe you should take another trip up to Nancy Elliot.'

At the mention of the Jeffersonian employee and the prospect of viewing the photographs of three cats again Booth visibly stiffened and Temperance laughed.

'I'm starting to think we wont know what these numbers mean until we find the killer.'

'That'd be fine except you don't have any suspects do you?'

Booth turned to Angela with an indignant look on his face, after all, in his opinion he was doing all he could.

'No we don't.'

'So the chances are that unless you work out what these numbers are you're never going to find out who did it.'

Angela's statement, though obvious to all, was none the less disturbing.

'I refuse to be beaten by this, there's no such thing as the perfect crime and we're going to catch whoever did this.'

'That's the spirit Bones.'

'Ok, lets try to forget the number for a minute and lets work on the suspect front and for now lets not link the cases but look at each person individually.'

'Right so who had reason to kill Deborah Kern?'

'Well she was a judge, maybe someone didn't exactly agree with a sentence she passed.'

'Maybe but all of the defendants in her biggest cases are still safely behind bars and according to the husband she's had no threatening messages, people at her office confirmed that.'

'Maybe the killer didn't bother with a threat, maybe they just jumped straight in there and killed her.'

Temperance shook her head a little in Angela's direction.

'But whats to be gained by that, I mean it isn't going to alter any of the judgements she made is it?'

'No but it might have made someone a hell of a lot happier, especially if a member of their family had been executed because of her judgement.'

This time Booth shook his head.

'No, I checked. Deborah Kern's never passed the death sentence.'

Angela sighed in defeat and her husband posed the next scenario.

'Maybe she was seeing someone and one day her lover just got a tad too jealous at the cosy life she shared with the husband and kids.'

'I don't think so, by all account she and her husband had the perfect marriage, why risk all that with an affair?'

'Or maybe hubby found out she was having an affair and he offed her.'

'Ok again she wasn't having an affair, and besides, the husband has an alibi, he was at his mothers house with the kids when Deborah was killed.'

'Maybe he had her killed by someone else, yeah maybe after he discovered her sordid affair he was so enraged that he put a hit out on her.'

'For the last time Deborah Kern wasn't having an affair.'

Hodgins frowned then brightened.

'Maybe it was a…'

Booth pointed a finger at him in warning.

'You even whisper the words government conspiracy and I will shoot you.'

Temperance smirked.

'Ok, so no look with Debbie Kern, what about Hannah Sinclair?'

' Yeah, now I actually have a theory about her, it could have been the money.'

'What money?'

'Well she may have been a foster kid but she was a pretty wealthy one. I did some digging and it turns out that when little Hannah's parents were tragically killed in a car crash she was left everything, in trust of course, she got it when she turned eighteen.'

'It's a possibility but surely if it was for money then she was better to someone alive than dead, she didn't leave a will.'

'Then maybe this isn't about her, maybe it was about her son.'

They turned to Zack.

'Maybe this was about her son, the one she had adopted.'

'That was three years ago.'

Zach shrugged.

'Maybe the father finally showed up and wondered where his kid was. When Hannah told him she'd given their son away he lost it.'

It was Angela that replied.

'I don't think that's very likely, we're talking about a kid that was conceived almost four years ago, if the father didn't want to know then its not very likely that he's going to show up now is it?'

Booth nodded

'I agree with Angela.'

'Well what if it was to do with the adoption, maybe Hannah wanted her son back.'

'Impossible, birth families aren't often told exactly where their children are going for exactly that reason.'

Booth was in agreement but then something niggled at the back of his mind.

'That's true but maybe Zach has something there.'

'I do?'

'Maybe, I mean think about, Marcy Davis was Hannah's only family and she didn't know anything about the adoption, as far as she was concerned Hannah and her son were a happy little family getting on with their lives.'

'That's a point but I don't think Marcy Davis is a suspect Booth, you saw her, she was genuinely shocked when we told her about Hannah.'

'Yeah…ok then.'

'What about Anna Swanstone?'

'That one really is a dead end, we've interviewed everyone that knew her. She was the model woman, a saint by all accounts, loved by all. The only lead we had was the caretaker and apart from the fact he seemed distraught by the news that she was dead he has an alibi.'

'What about the son?'

'Huh?'

'Anna's son, what about him?'

'Nah, he has an alibi.'

'A good one?'

'A business meeting with thirteen other members of staff.'

'You could have just said yes.'

A few moments passed before Brennan spoke again.

'What about everyone else at the church?'

'Tell me you didn't just say that?'

'What! Come on Booth, just because they work for God or whatever doesn't mean they're above murder.'

'Its irrelevant anyway, all the nuns were at a charity fund raiser the day Anna died.'

'What about the priest, Father Elliot?'

'He was overseeing a wedding ceremony at the time so I think we'll let him off the hook Bones.'

'Hey, just because I brought God into this, don't get all huffy.'

'I'm not getting…oh never mind.'

'What about the choirboy, Christian. He lives there doesn't he?'

'Yeah but he was serving at the wedding with three other alter boys when she was killed, and I checked him out anyway. Christian Elliot is as clean and straight-laced as they come, for a nineteen year old it doesn't get more boring.'

'So he doesn't have a record.'

'He's a choirboy Bones, of course he doesn't.'

'Fine, what about Phoebe Conners?'

'Nothing.'

'Nothing?'

'Nothing. Her family haven't heard from her in months. She moved to DC nearly six months ago but hadn't really made any friends. She had a relatively good job working in a cosmetics lab but her apartment is moderately furnished, not a single indication of her relatively large salary.'

'What about the police report, how did that happen?'

'Two years ago she was accused of shop-lifting. CCTV later proved that the goods had been placed in her bag by someone else. Look Bones, I hate to say this but to the random observer you and Michael we're the only people she was ever really close to.'

'I haven't seen her in nearly ten years Booth, this isn't about me.'

Angela, Zach and Hodgins were now listening eagerly, hoping to work out the relationship their boss had had with the fourth victim, a piece of information that Booth was still the only one privy to.

'What about Michael? Has he seen her?'

'How should I know, in case you haven't noticed I don't keep tabs on him.'

'All I'm saying Bones is that it's a bit odd how she moves here, where you and Michael both live and work, when it means she's a two hour drive away from her job and then six months later she turns up dead.'

'I haven't seen her Booth, how many more times do I have to say it?'

'Alright, you haven't seen her, I get it?'

He dropped the subject and Angela was the next to talk.

'So where does that leave us suspect-wise?'

Booth looked up at her and answered honestly.

'Absolutely nowhere.'


	27. Hinc illae lacrimae, Hence those tears

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 27**

**Hinc illae lacrimae - Hence those tears**

Temperance woke that Thursday morning once more to the sound of far off murmuring. Her mind cleared a little as the sleep haze lifted and she remembered that Booth had stayed with her the previous night. Gingerly she slipped from beneath the covers of the bed and padded down the hall in search of her lover. The murmurs led her towards the spare room and she glanced through the crack in the doorway to see her partner sat, in the chair that she herself had placed beneath the window, with Toby in his arms. She smiled a little and listened harder to hear what Booth was saying.

'You're not so bad I suppose, for a Saroyan at least.'

Temperance bit back a laugh.

'You know your mom…your mom and I…well your mom, she…'

Temperance understood his dilemma and pondered the various ways that sentence could end.

__

'…Your mom used you to hurt me.'

'…Your mom tricked me into thinking you were mine then left.'

'…Your mom was special to me but now I cant even look at her.'

Not surprisingly Booth didn't direct any of these sentences towards the infant in his arms and instead changed the sentence all together.

'You look like your mom kid.'

Something in his voice worried Temperance and she pressed herself closer to the door frame.

'You know, part of me…no matter how inconvenient it might have been…a part of me really wanted to be your dad.'

Outside the room Temperance felt her heart constrict as though someone had placed an elastic band around it and pulled…hard. A slight wave of jealousy and resentment washed over her as she recalled the events of six months previous and the thoughts she had been trying to block out since Toby's arrival finally broke through.

He had been willing to give up everything for that baby. Cam had snapped her fingers and announced she was pregnant and Booth was more than prepared to give up Temperance to be part of that baby's life. She'd nearly left…he'd nearly let her. She pondered briefly how different things might have been had Cam not revealed that the baby wasn't Booths. Cam, Booth and Toby would be a family, and if not a happy one at least a content one…and herself, she'd be in a different part of the country, doing a different job and trying to pretend that Cam, Booth and the Jeffersonian had never happened.

Six months ago he had wanted that baby more than her.

No, that was wrong, not _that_ baby, the fact that it was Cams baby didn't matter, he had wanted _a_ baby, he had wanted to be a father again more than he had wanted to be her partner, her lover. New feelings of inadequacy and guilt hit her as she remembered he'd probably never have that if he stayed with her, he'd probably never get to have another child. Was he really prepared to give that up for her, he hadn't with Toby, or did he think he could change her, even though she'd warned him he couldn't?

'You're special Toby, your mom knows that, even if she doesn't know who your dad is.'

Temperance had her suspicions that Cam knew exactly who the father of her child was but wasn't about to voice them. She pushed open the door and stepped into the room just as Booth decided to exit it and knocked straight into him and the baby in his arms. Booth grinned at her.

'Morning.'

She wasn't sure what to say to him now, her mind not really focusing on the present but rather on past events and the what-ifs and maybe's of the future.

'You're up early.'

He shrugged.

'Not really. Toby was up so I thought I'd get him.'

'Err, thanks I guess.'

'No problem. Look I was thinking maybe we could go have a look round Phoebe Conners lab, maybe one of her colleagues can tell us something.'

She nodded, not really paying attention as the three ended up in the kitchen and Booth flicked on the kettle, still clutching Toby. She sat down at the breakfast bar and simply stared at her mug when Booth handed her a coffee.

'Are you ok?'

She finally snapped out of it.

'I'm fine, just a little distracted. I have to go see Cam this morning.'

__

'Where the hell did that come from? No I don't.'

Oh.'

'Yeah, she rang yesterday and said she wanted to see Toby.'

__

'Now who's using Toby?'

'You didn't say.'

'I only just remembered.'

__

'Only just made it up more like.'

Temperance screamed inside her head for her conscience to shut the hell up. She was looking after number one and after what she had just heard she couldn't face a two hour car ride with Booth to the work place of her former best friend. She couldn't, she wouldn't. This was damage control, conscience be damned.

'That's ok, do the lab know you wont be in?'

'Err no, I forgot, I'll call them.'

'Ok, it just means we'll have to go to Phoebe's lab tomorrow.'

'Sorry.'

'Don't be, its not your fault.'

He kissed the top of her head and passed her Toby as he announced he was going to get ready for work and then Temperance bid him farewell, albeit with a significantly heavier heart than usual.

* * *

After phoning the lab to say she wouldn't be in Temperance decided that her best option really was to go and see Cam. After all, Toby had been in her care well over a week and apart from the daily phone calls Cam made from a hospital payphone to check on him, mother and son had had no contact. Temperance dressed herself and Toby quickly and considered her method of transport. In the end she opted to leave the pram at home and took the bus to the hospital. In hindsight she reflected that twenty minutes on a bus with a three month old baby perhaps wasn't her best idea ever.

She found her way back to Cams side room relatively easily and entered to be greeted by a grinning Cam.

'Toby!'

Temperance couldn't help but smile and passed him to her..

'I thought you'd like to see him, I would have come sooner but…well you know how it is.'

Cam didn't answer, enthralled as she now was with her baby. Toby gurgled up at her, in a noticeably better mood than he had been in recent days.

'Mommy's missed you Toby, yes she has.'

Cam kissed the crown of the infants head and Temperance suddenly felt like an intruder in the room. The scene before her was so sweet and touching, two words she would never use to describe anything to do with Cam, that she felt slightly uncomfortable. Cam looked up from the child in her arms and invited Temperance to sit down.

'I was just about to call you, shouldn't you be at work?'

'I called them, took the day off.'

Cam stared at her knowingly.

'Now I know you didn't do that just to come see me.'

Temperance smiled a little.

'I was due time off.'

Cam got the message, Tempe wasn't talking.

'Well, thanks, I've missed him.'

'I thought you might.'

'How's he been?'

'Okay, I suppose. I think he's still settling in. I don't think he really likes me.'

'Like you said, he's still settling in.'

Temperance smiled.

'To be honest I think he likes Booth better.'

Cam studied the irony of her child's preferences before seeing that the smile had slipped from Temperance's face and quickly deduced the reason for her impromptu day off.

'Soooo, how is Booth?'

Temperance's looked the other woman in the eye and realised that Cam was perhaps as intuitive as her partner.

'He's fine, when I first took Toby home he was distant but…but that's understandable.'

Temperance's looked hard at Cam, who accepted the accusations. This was the first time Temperance had even referenced to what had happened six months ago and Toby's part in the events. She chose not to comment

'And how are things, with you I mean, you and Booth?'

'We're…fine.'

'Really?'

Temperance sighed and suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to bare all to Cam, a woman who could once be considered an enemy.

'We are fine, together. I'm just not sure I'm fine, not sure he's fine.'

Cam figured she had nothing to loose and probed further.

'Why?'

Temperance finally relented and blurted out the statement that, if truth be told, had be settled at the back of her mind for weeks now, long before Toby was even a factor.

'He wants a baby.'

'Oh'

_'Oh'_, that was all Cam said. There was nothing else she could say.

'He pretends its ok but it isn't.'

'Has he said anything?'

'Not to me, Toby maybe but not me.'

'Toby?'

And the it happened. It all just came spilling out and before she knew it Temperance had told Cam everything, the whole story, everything from Max's trial and their subsequent awkwardness to Rebecca's pregnancy. She told Cam about their case and their lack of leads, she told her about Michael and about Phoebe and she told her about what she had overheard from Booth that morning. Once she'd started she found it difficult to stop and ten minutes later she found herself sat teary eyed on the end of Cams bed, breathing hard in shuddered gasps as she tried to reign in her emotions.

'…and he said he doesn't need a baby, that I'm enough but…but…'

Cam finally spoke after ten minutes of patient listening.

'But what?'

Temperance looked up, her voice no higher than a whisper.

'He deserves more Cam.'

'More than this? More than your situation? More than you?'

'All of the above. He wants a family Cam?'

'He has a family, he has you, he has Parker.'

'He has Parker for two nights out of seven if he's lucky and I cant even bring myself to move in with him.'

'You've still not worked that one out huh?'

'I said we'd talk about it when this case was over and you were better.'

Toby made a whimpering noise and Temperance automatically handed a bottle from her bag to Cam.

'He'll be hungry, Booth was the last to feed him.'

Cam smiled at the way the other woman now knew her son so well.

'You know it might sound crazy but why don't you just have a baby, you seem to be doing ok with Toby.'

'Yeah but I know I'm giving him back eventually.'

Cam threw her a 'look'.

'I mean it, I cant have a baby. It goes against everything I've ever said.'

'Is that the only reason, you wont go back on your word?

'No, its more than that. Every reason I gave a year ago for not having children, I still believe those reasons now. After what I've seen I don't understand why anyone would want to bring a child into that.'

'But people do Temperance, come on, you're an anthropologist, what about survival of the species?'

'I highly doubt that the human race is going to die out just because I choose not to have children.'

Cam shook her head and looked down at Toby for inspiration.

'What if Booth asked you?'

Temperance was so taken aback she was lost for words.

'What?'

Cam looked up.

'If Booth asked you, if he told you he wanted a baby, then what? If he asked you to choose, then what? Could you leave him?'

Temperance's memory provided flashes of choices she'd made six months earlier, the heartache she'd gone through, the pain of leaving him…She caught Cams eyes in a defiant glare.

'I did before.'

Cam didn't miss a beat.

'That was different. That was about self preservation. We're talking about raising your own child, not watching Booth raise mine. Six months ago you didn't love him like you do now. If he asked you to have a baby for him, would you?'

Temperance looked at her feet as she thought, then sighed loudly.

'If he asked…if he ever asked me, told me, then…then I think I would, for him.'

Cam took that as discussion over, argument won but Temperance wasn't finished.

'But it wouldn't work, we wouldn't work.'

Cam groaned in frustration.

'Why not?'

Temperance looked her in the eye, her voice indicating the seriousness of the situation.

'It wouldn't work because…If he asked…if he ever asked that of me, then he's not the man I fell in love with.'

* * *

**So there you go, how exactly is she going to work this one out? Will Cam recover as quickly as she hopes? Will they ever solve this case? and who exactly is baby Toby's father? ...oh and review please : )**


	28. Mutatis mutandis, With those things,,,

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

**Chapter 28**

**Mutatis mutandis - With those things changed which needed to be changed**

Fifteen minutes had passed in the small hospital room and all talk of Booth had been put aside in favour of more confident subjects of conversation.

'So the case really isn't going well then?'

'No, we have no leads and until we crack the number code I don't think we're going to get any.'

'You will, you know the deal. The answers are usually right in front of you.'

'That's the depressing part, they probably is and we just cant see it.'

Cam jostled Toby on her lap.

'Has Angela been able to run a schematic of the crime?'

'No, but its not her fault. She cant do it without knowing what the murder weapon was and the simulator has run out of scenario's for it. I tried doing it the old fashioned way but…'

'But modelling clay is a pain in the backside?'

Brennan smiled.

'Exactly.'

'How is Angela?'

'She's good. You missed the wedding.'

'I was there for the first one, they're all the same.'

Again Tempe smiled, the second wedding had indeed been a carbon copy of the first one.

'I take it she's not best pleased that you're helping me?'

'Not really but she's ok with Toby and at the end of the day its not up to her is it.'

Cam gave a sharp nod and watched as Toby's eyes drifted shut as the baby fell asleep. She sighed contentedly.

'We're supposed to have a meeting on Monday with the lovely Miss Monroe.'

Temperance rolled her eyes in dismay.

'Why?'

'To check our progress. I think her exact words were _'To check on Toby's emotional stability and to help cultivate a fruitful relationship between carer and parent.'_, or something like that.'

'That woman has more to learn about '_fruitful relationships' _than I do, and that's saying something.'

Cam snorted and started to laugh, then remembered the sleeping boy in her arms and stopped in fear of waking him.

'I don't like her either but if it keeps Child Services off my back then I can handle smiling at her for twenty minutes.'

'Have the doctors said anything more about how long you'll be here?'

An odd look flitted over Cam's features and she shuffled upwards in the bed, surprisingly not waking baby Toby even as she moved him into her arms.

'I erm…I was going to talk to you about that.'

'Why? What is it?'

'Well according to my consultant I'm not responding to the antibiotics as well as they'd like so they've decided that de-bridement surgery may be the best option.'

Temperance wrinkled her forehead in thought. De-bridement surgery, which involved shaving away the infected areas of the bone, was itself a risk-free procedure but carried a higher rate of possible infection than Cams current situation. The aftercare was also more painful than the osteomyelitis itself, often leaving the patient completely immobilised. However, Tempe could see the benefits…

'So, you'd be out sooner?'

Cam nodded.

'It'd take a few days to recover from surgery, then I'd probably be on the antibiotic drip for another week but after that I should be ok to go home.'

'Why wasn't this an option before?'

'Because things weren't bad enough, they hoped I'd respond to treatment but…'

She sighed and Temperance noticed the defeated look she hadn't seen since she had first visited Cam.

'…I cant go on like this Temperance, I just…'

Brennan thought she saw the hint of a tear in Cams right eye but must have imagined it for when she looked again it was gone.

'I cant stand being confined to this bed, its driving me crazy. I miss Toby and if I'm completely honest half the time my legs hurt like hell, even with the morphine they have me on. I'm tired constantly from all the checks they keep doing and the drugs they keep giving me and I just cant stand the sight of the same four walls anymore. I want my baby back and I want to go home.'

Emotions flickered through Temperance, settling first on guilt, that she hadn't brought Toby sooner, then on surprise, that Cam had shared her pain, then on pity, that a woman who she knew was so full of life was cooped up in this small room. Finally she settled on curious and voiced her questions.

'Where is 'home'? Here? New York? Your sisters?'

Cam scoffed at the last suggestion.

'I cant go back to my sister, I couldn't stand it there even before we argued.'

'What did you argue about?'

'Toby. She's a good girl, married with three kids, regular church goer, volunteers in the community, bakes cookies…'

Tempe smiled.

'…A right goodie-two-shoes. She doesn't approve of the way her little sister is raising her son and although she apparently took me in out of the goodness of her heart she asked me to leave in not so polite terms before I 'corrupted' her daughters.'

'She sounds fun.'

Cam laughed.

'You got that right.'

'Soo…if not your sisters then where are you going to go?'

'I cant live with my parents, apart from being their biggest disappointment they'd drive me crazy and I don't really want to raise Toby in New York. I'd like to stay in DC but if I don't find some proper work soon I'm going to loose the apartment and then I don't know what we'll do.'

Temperance stared at the other woman for a moment in silence before she spoke.

'I've been thinking about that, the whole employment thing…I think you should come back.'

Cam was incredulous.

'To the Jeffersonian?!'

Tempe nodded.

'We've had our differences but…you were good at your job and I'd like to think we could be grown up about this.'

'And how would Booth feel about us working together?'

'I don't know, I've haven't mentioned it to him.'

Cam didn't comment and continued as if she hadn't answered.

'Well…it would be nice…I mean the facilities are…good.'

'They're the best, and there's an opening too. The lead forensics position has been scrapped but we're still missing a pathologist.'

'I thought you hired Tommy Bradford.'

'We did until he decided he had other work commitments. Besides, we didn't exactly get on…'

'Well I suppose…but how do you even know they'd have me, I resigned remember.'

'Trust me, they'd have you. You're good at what you do and they're desperate. Sending remains to the coroner is expensive and takes time, we cant keep doing it, and if I put in a good word for you…'

'Why would you do that?'

Temperance thought for a moment, questioning where this sudden eagerness to work with Cam had come from. Four weeks ago she couldn't stand to be in the same room as the woman, now she wanted to work with her every day.

'Because…because what happened…between us, and Booth…that had nothing to do with you as a pathologist and you have Toby now and…and…look, cant you just see it as we need a pathologist and you need a job? Isn't that enough?'

Cam nodded. She understood. The feelings each woman had towards the other were complicated at best and wasn't going to be unravelled and solved in the space of one afternoon. Working together wouldn't always be easy but…it was a start.

'Ok, I…I'll apply, when I get out of here I'll apply.'

Temperance smiled, making a mental note to send a message to Goodman when she returned to the office. That would be sooner than she thought as she jumped at the sound of her phone ringing in her bag.

'I should get that.'

She bent down and fumbled in her bag for her cell. Caller ID identified the caller simply as the lab and she knew she had to answer it.

'Brennan.'

'Its Hodgins. I know its your day off but… we found something.'

Her insides squirmed with excitement as she wondered if this was the break they were waiting for.

'What is it?'

'I went over Phoebe Conners clothes again under magnification and found some slight discolouration on the left sleeve of the cotton shirt she was wearing.'

'And…?'

'I ran a trace analysis on the fibres and found that the samples contained high traces of both toluene and nitrocellulose.

'What are they?'

'They're both used in a variety of things, but the one that we're interested in is their use as components in the manufacture of nail varnish.'

The bubble of excitement and anticipation grew.

'Phoebe Conners worked in a cosmetics lab.'

'You bet she did.'

'Does Booth know?'

'Yeah, Zach just finished on the phone to him. He's done a quick bit of digging and it gets better. According to Booth one of the last projects Phoebe Conners worked on whilst at Halliway Cosmetics lab was for Cuticall Nail care's new range of scented nail varnish which, you guessed it, contains both toluene and nitrocellulose.'

Temperance was about to respond when a familiar beeping filled the air.

'Hodgins I have to go, my pager just went off.'

'It'll be Booth, he said he was going to try to call you.'

'Ok, thanks for everything Jack.'

She hung up and checked her pager, confirming it was Booth before calling him.

'Booth.'

'Its me.'

'I just tried calling you.'

'I know, Hodgins called.'

'You know then?'

'Yeah he told me, what now?'

'Well…look, I know you're with Cam but I was kind of thinking we could go out to Halliway Cosmetics today, I don't really want to wait…'

'No, no I get it. I'm at the hospital now, can you pick me up?'

'Sure, give me ten minutes?'

'Ok. Oh, but wait what about Toby?'

The line was silent as Booth thought.

'Its halve twelve. The lab closes at three and its more than a two hour drive to get there. If we stop to take him to day-care we'll never make it in time. We'll have to take him.'

'I don't have the pram. Its too hard to get on the bus with it.'

She heard Booth moan and silently cursed herself for not taking the car.

'His car seats still in the SUV, that'll have to do.'

'Ok, see you in ten.'

The line went dead and Temperance put her phone back in her bag. When she turned to Cam she was surprised to see the other woman smiling at her, Toby in her arms already dressed in his coat and hat.

'Sorry I have to go.'

'Its ok, I understand.'

'When's your surgery?'

'Its scheduled for next Wednesday.'

Temperance mentally counted. Six days.

'Ok, I'll try come for a few hours Sunday if I don't have to work. If not then I'll see you Monday.'

'Ok, and thanks again, for bringing him.'

'Its ok, like I said, I should have come sooner.'

Cam just smiled and kissed her son again before passing him to Temperance who juggled the bag and the baby in her arms until both were settled. She said her goodbyes to Cam and meandered her way through the hospital to wait for Booth outside. She could still feel the pocket of excitement that was now simmering away inside of her but she tried to ignore it. They may have a lead but they were still a long way from closing this case and as Temperance knew only too well from previous experiences, things were rarely as simple as they seemed.


	29. Amor est,,,Love is ,,,

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 29**

**Amor est vitae essential - Love is the essence of life**

The car radio was barely audible, turned down low so as not to wake a sleeping Toby who dozed in his car seat in the back. They had been driving for an hour and a half and had maintained their general conversation patterns by talking about the case, proposing scenarios and planning their upcoming questioning of Phoebe's colleagues. Finally the conversation turned.

'So...err…how's Cam?'

Temperance turned to her partner. The neutral expression he wore gave nothing away as to where the question had come from. Temperance knew how hard this was for him. Cam was special to him and part of him would always care for her but what she did, in Booths opinion, was unforgivable and he was struggling with the conflicting feelings he currently had.

'She's…frustrated. She wants to go home, she wants Toby back.'

'Any news on when she will go home?'

'She's having surgery on Wednesday, that should mean she can go home sooner, maybe in a week or two.'

'That's good.'

The non-committal emotionally detached comment of 'that's good' was all she got and nudged her to push for more.

'You could still go see her you know. I think she'd like that.'

'Sure she would.'

The sarcasm in his voice felt suffocating in the confines of the car. In the backseat Toby spluttered in his sleep. Temperance turned to check on his then looked back to Booth as the car slowed at a set of lights.

'Booth…I…erm…I may have suggested…I…I've suggested she apply for her old job.'

'You've done what!'

Temperance settled back in her seat at Booths exclamation.

'I advised her to get her old job back.'

'Why on earth did you do that?'

'Because she needs the work Booth. She's struggling to keep her apartment as it is and Toby is only going to need more as he grows up.'

'Why cant she get work somewhere else?'

'Because she needs somewhere that will let her work her hours around Toby. You know it makes sense Booth, the Jeffersonian needs a pathologist and she's good at what she does.'

'I don't understand how…after everything she's done…how can you just forgive her? After what she put you through, she was horrible to you, she tried to ruin everything for us…how can you just forget all that?'

'I haven't but doesn't everyone deserve a second chance? Don't think for one minute that I've forgotten what she did Booth. You weren't the only one that was hurt you know. I nearly left remember. You made your choice and I nearly left and I don't think I have forgiven her, not yet.'

Silence and tension was hanging heavy in the air and Temperance turned her head away to face the window, watching the blurs of coloured cars whiz past as they neared their destination. Booth broke the silence, apparently having used his moments of silence to ponder her words.

'Have you forgiven me?'

Temperance turned to him slowly, her gaze level and measured. The question was loaded, a million different answers having a million different consequences, each one of them potentially fatal for their relationship.

'What do you mean?'

'You said to remember that you nearly left, that I made my choice and you nearly left. Are…are you still angry about that…is this still there between us?'

She looked at him. Six months had passed without talking about the choices they had made and he had chosen now of all times to mention it.

'How can it not be there Booth? We never talk about it and when we do its always about Cam, about the mistakes she made, why is it never about us? Why is it never about the mistakes I made, you made?'

'What mistakes? I was doing what I thought was best.'

'You were going to let me leave.'

'I tried to stop you.'

'But you wouldn't leave Cam.'

'It wasn't about Cam, it was about the baby, you know that.'

'Yes, I do. I know that at the time Cams baby, the baby that's sleeping not three feet away in this car, that baby meant more to you than me.'

For a moment it seemed as though Booth didn't know what to say.

'I…is this what this has all been about?'

'All whats been about?'

'The past few weeks, the way you've been with me?'

'I don't know, I just…you're always the one that makes the decisions Booth.'

'What do you mean?'

'Six months ago you decided you were going to support Cam, I had no say, I didn't matter. Now two weeks ago I try to do exactly what you did, help Cam, take care of Toby and you get so angry we break up. You hold all the power Booth.'

He glanced briefly away from the road to look at her, a sadness in his eyes.

'But that isn't about that is it?'

'No, it isn't. You want a child as much now as you did six months ago.'

It was a statement and he didn't contradict her. It was true after all.

'And?'

'And I'm not sure how we live with that. I mean, you hold all the power again. One day you might decide that I'm not worth it, just like I wasn't six months ago and if you stay with me you're giving up something you want more than anything.'

He stopped the car.

'No Temperance, not more than anything. I want you more than anything. You know that.'

'I'm not so sure anymore.'

Booth sighed deeply, his head lolling back against the seat.

'Then what do you want to do?'

'I don't know Booth, I don't know. All I do know is that this is our second chance and if we're giving it a shot then doesnt Cam deserve that second chance too?'

* * *

**Until next time : ) review away**


	30. Alis grave nil, Nothing is heavy,,,

**Disclaimer: I still dont own Bones**

**Chapter 30**

**Alis grave nil - Nothing is heavy to those who have wings**

'Hi, we're here to see Dr. Caroline Winters.'

The young receptionist didn't even look up as she answered Booth.

'And your names are?'

'Agent Booth and Dr Brennan.'

The receptionist said nothing at first but rather blew another pink bubble with her gum.

'Your names not on the list.'

'Its OK Tally they're with me.'

The three head swivelled to the woman who had emerged from a nearby elevator.

'Dr. Winters?'

'Please, call me Caroline. If you'd like to follow me we can go up to the lab.'

The pair nodded ignoring the eye roll they received from receptionist Tally and followed Dr Winters who headed back towards the elevator. The three manoeuvred their way into the elevator, squashing together to accommodate for Toby's car seat.

'So…you're here about Phoebe?'

'Yeah, we're investigating her death as part of an ongoing case.'

'So…you're sure she was murdered?'

'Positive.'

'Right.'

The doors swished open with a sharp 'ding' and the occupants of the elevator stepped out into a busy lab.

'Ok, so err this is where Phoebe worked.'

Caroline raised her arms weakly and cast it across the lab without much enthusiasm. Booth glanced to his partner who shot him a look back and shifted Toby to the other arm.

'Caroline? Can I call you Caroline?'

Brennan recognised the patented Booth smile as it was tossed in Caroline's direction. The middle-aged scientist wilted much the same as ninety percent of her sex did when in Seeley Booths company and the object of that smile.

'Of course.'

'Well Caroline, we're going to need to talk to anyone who worked on the same case as Phoebe in the weeks before she disappeared.'

'You can try but I doubt you'll get much Phoebe wasn't exactly one for sharing.'

'Is there anywhere we can talk to them privately one by one?'

'You can use my office, its just back down that corridor.'

'Thank you Caroline. Dr Brennan here will need access to Phoebe's notes too.'

'Our notes are highly confidential Agent Booth. Our clients…'

'Your clients are very important companies and I'm sure they would much rather have you give us access to the files than be upset by the warrant I'd be forced to get if you didn't. I know an intelligent woman such as yourself can see the benefits of cooperation Caroline.'

His honey-toned voice seemed to do the trick and after a few seconds thinking Caroline nodded.

'I'll have them sent up to my office, you can look through them there but if you need to take them..'

'They'll have to be signed for, we know. If you could help us by sending your colleagues in one by one that'd be great. Did you say you office was this way?'

Caroline Winters simply nodded before Booth turned on his heel and headed towards her office. Brennan stood rooted to the spot for a moment before casting a glance around the lab then turning to follow Booth. Once in the office she settled Toby's carrier on the floor and turned to her partner.

'Does your damn charm work on everyone?'

He grinned, a twinkle in his eyes.

'It worked on you.'

Despite herself she smiled back.

'I'm sorry… about earlier.'

He nodded stepping closer to her.

'So am I but…we'll talk about this later ok?'

She smiled slightly.

'You mean when a certain Dr. Winters isn't trying to peer through the blinds into her office?'

The two both looked towards the office window and saw the shadow of the doctor in question jump sharply back from the blinds and step towards the door. She knocked sharply before entering, a cardboard box in her arms.

'These are all of Phoebe's notes and this…'

She gestured behind her and another young scientist entered the room.

'…this is Meredith, she works here in the lab with Phoebe.'

The pair nodded. Temperance took the box from Caroline who left the room and Meredith sat down. Four words passed through Booths mind as he sat in front of her. _Let the games begin..._

* * *

'So you are…'

Booth looked down at the list of employees on the desk and found what he was looking for.

'…Meredith Saunders?'

The pale blond in front of him nodded.

'Is it true that Phoebe's dead?'

'I'm afraid so. When was the last time you saw Phoebe?'

'About a week ago, I remember because she was late for work which never happened.'

Booth mused over the obvious similarities between his partner and her once best friend.

'I need you to think for me Meredith. The last time you saw Phoebe did anything seem…off?'

Meredith snorted slightly and rolled her eyes.

'Phoebe was always 'off'. Look, I'm going to be straight with you Agent Booth Phoebe wasn't the easiest of people to get on with. I didn't know that much about her.'

'You worked with her for over six months didn't you?'

'Yeah and in six months I'm not sure she ever told me one personal thing about herself. I'm sorry she's dead, I really am but I wasn't friends with Phoebe and I don't think I can help you.'

* * *

'Ok so you are?'

'Alan Featherstone, its my job to liaise with the cosmetics agents, the account I worked on was the Cuticall Nail range.'

'That was what Phoebe was working on last wasn't it.'

'Yes, she'd been working on the manufacture of their new line of nail polish.'

'How well would you say you knew Phoebe?'

'I didn't. No one knew Phoebe Conners, not really, she didn't talk to people.'

* * *

'I'm Simon Clarence. I was working alongside Phoebe on the account for Cuticall Cosmetics and Nail Care.'

'And what can you tell us about Phoebe Conners?'

'Nothing, I'm not sure I ever spoke to her directly.'

* * *

'I give up.'

'Yeah, this does seem like a bit of a waste of time.'

'I don't get it, no one knows a thing about her.'

'She was only here six months remember, she was the new girl. Maybe she was just waiting to settle in before making friends.'

'Maybe. Its still frustrating. We know there's a connection here, Hodgins said the two chemicals he found on Phoebe's sleeve were ingredients in the manufacture of nail polish, there has to be a link here.'

'Well if there is its not in here.'

Temperance gestured to the pile of papers at her side.

'I've been through every page of Phoebe's notes and haven't found anything out of the ordinary.'

Toby chose that moment to wake up and grumbled from his spot in the car-seat on the floor.

'Maybe we should call it a day. He wants to go home, I want to go home, I'm guessing you want to go home.'

She smiled as he walked round the desk he'd been sat at to stand in front of her. She answered him with a grin.

'I really want to go home.'

'Your home or my home?'

She smirked.

'My home…'

He frowned a little and she almost laughed before finishing her sentence.

'My home…but you can come to in you want.'

It was his turn to smirk and he hooked his fingers through her belt loops, tugging her towards him to whisper close to her ear.

'Oh I want to…'

They were disturbed by the sound of dramatic throat clearing from the doorway. They both turned to see a young woman in a lab coat peering at the with intrigue, her plait of thick, dark hair slipping over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling slightly. A breathy little laugh slipped from her lips at the two people in front of her and stepped properly into the room.

'Hi, are you Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan?'

They nodded and she extended her hand which they shook.

'Hi, my name's Casey, Casey Bryant, I worked with Phoebe.'

Booth sat down back at the desk and Brennan settled back on the seat in the corner.

'I err, I thought we'd seen all of Phoebe's colleagues.'

'You have, I didn't usually work with Phoebe but we worked together on the account she did before the Cuticall account.'

'Oh.'

'When I heard she was missing I feared the worst…and I was right.'

Unexpectedly she burst into tears. Neither Booth nor Brennan said anything until she had calmed down.

'Were you and Phoebe close?'

'We were good friends.'

'Really?'

Booth replied all too quickly and Casey shot him a look.

'What do you mean by that?'

'I'm sorry, its just we've spoken to almost the whole lab today and…well Phoebe didn't exactly seem to have a lot of friends.'

'No, I suppose she didn't. Phoebe was a very private person. She had trust issues.'

In the corner Brennan pulled a funny face.

'Can you tell us anything about Phoebe's disappearance?'

'Not really, all I know is that…she was happy.'

'Happy?'

'Yeah, you know she'd had a few problems but she working through them. She loved her job, she was almost obsessed with it. I got the impression she didn't get on with her parents, she said they were too strict, you know the type: church-going, cake-baking, overbearing traditionalists who wanted nothing more to marry their little girl off and see her doing a normal job like being a receptionist whilst raising a couple of kids.'

'So did she argue with her parents?'

'No, not argue. I think they just stopped talking.'

That would fit, thought Brennan. Mrs Conners had mentioned she hadn't heard from Phoebe in several months.

'You have to catch whoever did this to Phoebe. She might not have fit in here but that's not because she was a bad person, its because she was a good person. She was descent and kind, she didn't gossip and she valued trust. She lived for her job and…and…and she was my best friend.'

Something snapped in Brennan and she moved to wrap her arms around the now sobbing Casey. Why did everything always have to be so hard?


	31. Stupor mundi, The wonder of the world

**Hi all again. This part wasnt actually planned but it kind of appeared in my head and I wrote it on the impulse to make things right in the world lol.**

**Chapter 31**

**Stupor mundi - The wonder of the world**

'I really am sorry.'

'Forget it.'

'I have, but I'm still sorry.'

Temperance laughed lightly and rolled onto her back as Booth ran a hand down her side, the sincerity of his words lost as he nipped gently at her neck. It was Sunday, their day, and Angela had arrived the night before to collect Toby, not accepting Temperance's protests. Angela had swiftly declared she was baby-sitting and that was final and gave the couple strict instructions to enjoy their time together, work was not an option. Temperance had almost laughed at that command since work was certainly not going well and there was little chance of much being done that weekend.

That was how Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth had ended up together in bed at 1 'o' clock on a Sunday afternoon without a baby monitor or case file in sight. Booth murmured sorry again as he nuzzled between her neck and shoulder. They had tried the previous night to talk through the argument they had had in the car and this was Booths millionth attempt to apologise for snapping at her but so far each attempt had melted into kisses and love-making rather than conversation. Temperance for one wasn't complaining.

'We need to get up.'

Her voice was quiet as if hesitant of destroying the tranquillity of the bedroom. Booth rested his head across her shoulder and sighed, his breath whispering across her bare stomach as he exhaled.

'Do we have to?'

She would have laughed at his whiny voice and noted the similarities between his behaviour and that of his young son but she didn't. She felt the same.

'Its one now, Angela's coming with Toby at two.'

'That gives up a whole hour.'

The hand he had draped around her waist brushed her hip bone and she shuddered, thinking of the infinite possibilities an hour held. She collected herself and continued the let-down.

'I know but we have to get dressed and clean up.'

She had him at that one. Their first rather energetic bout of love-making the previous night had resulted in several pieces of toppled furniture and, if Brennan was guessing correctly, one or two broken ornaments.

'I don't want this day to end, we haven't done this in so long, just relaxed, just been together.'

His honesty upset her as she realised she had probably been neglecting her partner. He was right, they hadn't spent much quality time together and it was entirely her failing. Angela had offered several times over the past few weeks to take Toby off of her hands for the night but each time Temperance had politely refused. She knew why, she wanted to do this right. It was silly and completely illogical but some part of Temperance wanted to Take her duty as Toby's carer seriously and do things properly, to prove to herself that she could do it, that theoretically she could be a parent. She rolled over, pushing Booth onto his back as she went and looked down at him.

'I'm sorry we haven't spent much time together.'

'Its not your fault.'

She silenced him with her lips before removing them to speak again.

'No it is my fault and I'm sorry, I've just been so focused with Toby and Cam and the case…'

'I understand, its ok.'

'No its not.'

He smiled up at her.

'No, its not…but it will be.'

She marvelled once more at the absolute faith he had in her and their relationship.

'I love you.'

He grinned.

'Love you more.'

'Not possible

She prepared herself for the onslaught of saccharin sweetness that they were embarking upon and found the thought didn't irritate or disgust her as much as it had in any of her previous relationships.

'I think I'll be the judge of just how much I love you thank you very much.'

She laughed, the breathy little laugh she reserved just for the bedroom, just for him. He lifted a hand to her face pushing a stray tendril of hair behind her ears.

'We'll solve this case you know. We'll solve this case and Cam will be ok and she'll take Toby back and you'll think about moving in with me and we'll be fine. Trust me.'

'I do, with everything.'

'That works nicely then since you're my everything.'

She didn't bothered to blush as she lowered her mouth once more to his in a searing kiss before pulling away and springing from the bed. She threw his shirt round herself, doing up just a single button. He knew in that instant as he watched her walk round the bedroom collecting her clothes for the day that there would never be anything quite as sexy and yet simultaneously heart-warmingly beautiful as her wandering round wearing nothing more than his shirt and a smile. She noticed his appreciative gaze and smirked, stopping at the foot of the bed and placing both hands on her hips.

'Come on, we really do have to get up, we've only got an hour until Angela gets here.'

He shook his head but was smiling and pushed his legs round over the side of the bed. He glanced at her over his shoulder and smiled.

'I'll get up on one condition.'

'What?'

'Well I figure now since we have to rush…and there's so much to do…'

She had a feeling she knew where this was going and grinned.

'Yeeees?'

'Well I was thinking that the best way to save time would be to shower together.'

She pretended to think about it before turning on her heel and walking away. Seconds later he heard her call from the other room.

'The water's running Seeley.'


	32. Aut vincere ,,, Either to conquer or,,,

**Chapter 32**

**Aut vincere aut mori - Either to conquer or die**

Temperance woke Monday morning to the feeling of fingertips trailing across her back, soft kisses being pressed to her neck. She laughed still feeling the haze of sleep as it slowly loosened its hold on her.

'If you don't stop that I'll be late again.'

Booth chuckled, the vibrations of his voice bouncing from the bedroom walls and trembled through Temperance causing heat to once more pool in her stomach.

'Well I'm not stopping you, feel free…to leave…anytime…you want…'

He punctuated his words with more kisses to the back of her neck, extending them to cover her back as far as the restrictions of her night-clothes would allow. She squirmed gently against him, grinning into her pillow before rolling over to face him.

'You're not helping.'

He bent forward and kissed her soundly.

'Lets look at the facts shall we. I'm currently in bed with my gorgeous girlfriend who frankly works far too much for her own good, she's half naked and I don't have to be at work for another two hours. Now why ever would I want to help her leave?'

She laughed and he tugged her to lay across his chest, kissing the top of her head and silently thanking his lucky stars that Toby was still sleeping in the other room.

'I'm not going straight to work.'

'No?'

'I have to go to the hospital, me and Cam have a meeting with the social worker today. That should be…fun…'

'Oh, the enchanting Miss Monroe.'

Booth laughed again. He had heard his partner rant several times on Miss Monroe's various faults and lack of charm.

'Yeah well its just a sort of performance review, I'm hoping it wont take long.'

'Hmmm.'

He ran a hand down her arm.

'So you see I really do have to go.'

'Of course.'

He ran his hand back up her arms to stroke across her collar bone.

'Because if I'm late then…then…she wont be happy.'

It was becoming increasingly hard for Temperance to form coherent sentences which, of course was precisely his aim.

'So like I said, I really do have to get up. I have to leave.'

His hand stilled on her warm skin.

'But not yet?'

She couldn't help but smile and sighed in contentment.

'No, not yet.'

* * *

It was over an hour later when Temperance finally left the apartment, silently half-cursing the irresistible charms and virtues of Seeley Booth. She made the quick change of transferring Toby's car seat to her own vehicle with a few minor difficulties and made a mental note that her car was definitely not child friendly and remembered why the bus had seemed such a good idea the week before. Unfortunately for Temperance Toby had chosen today of all days to play up and screamed almost constantly during the journey to the hospital. She wondered briefly if it was possible for Toby and Miss Monroe to be in league with each other, for them both to be secretly plotting her downfall.

She brought the car to a halt in a parking space that seemed to Temperance to be miles from the hospital doors and moved round to Toby. She attempted to manoeuvre Toby out of the car seat and into his pram but the infant was having none of it, throwing his delicately chubby arms around.

'Please Toby, not today.'

If possible he screamed louder in protest of her request, fat tears reddening his cheeks as they spilled from the dark button eyes.

'Come on Toby, we're going to see mommy.'

The words had no meaning to him and he bawled on regardless of her coaxing. She glanced down at her watch and sighed, the last thing she wanted was to be late. They didn't have time for this. Ignoring his cries she tugged him deftly from the car seat and moved him into the pram. A greying woman behind her 'tutted' loudly as she ushered her grandchildren neatly into the back of a taxi. Temperance ignored her too, convinced that Miss Monroe's comments were going to be far harsher and have more bearing on her life that the vaguely unfounded disapproval of a woman she would probably never see again.

The wheels of the pram squeaked slightly as she pushed them across the tiled floor of the hospital reception as she headed for the elevator. She was waiting mere seconds before the elevator 'dinged' and Temperance squeezed herself in beside and elderly man and a woman who's son seemed to have broken his arm. She resisted the urge to ask for details of the break and exited calmly on the correct floor leaving the remaining occupants of the elevator to continue their journey. She narrowly avoided a collision with a rushing nurse and pushed on towards Cams room only to find it empty. She entered the room and frowned on noticing the empty bed, the crisp sheets seemingly neat but showing evidence of being slept in. She made the decision to seek answers and decided a screaming Toby wasn't conducive to successful conversations. She moved Toby to the corner of the side room and pressed the brake down on the pram before making one last attempt to hush his cries. The baby spluttered his tears at her, his eyes screwed up contorting his otherwise cute features.

'Fine, I give up.'

She walked to the door, throwing one last look towards the pram before, comfortable that he'd be safe for a few minutes alone in the hospital side room, she walked out…only to bump right into a disgruntled Miss Monroe. Temperance recovered quickly but the taller woman in her crisp linen suit tottered on her heels for a moment before grasping the door-frame to steady herself and glaring at Brennan and making a strange noise of complaint in the back of her throat.

'Miss Monroe.'

'Miss Brennan.'

Brennan wondered for a minute whether or not it would be detrimental to her current position to point out that Sheila Monroe was a whole three minutes late before deciding it probably wasn't worth the stress even for the look of shock her face would surely betray.

'I was just coming to find someone.'

'Ah yes, about Miss Saroyan's absence no doubt?'

Temperance nodded.

'Yeah I was going to ask one of the nurses.'

'I've already seen them.'

She couldn't say she was surprised. Sheila Monroe seemed like the kind of woman who made it her business to know everything about everyone.

'What did they say, where's Cam?'

Miss Monroe gave a smug smile, seemingly pleased with herself at having beaten Temperance to the information.

'I'm not exactly sure, they said something about a fever, they're sending someone down to talk to us but I'm not staying.'

'Your not?'

Temperance tried not to sound too pleased.

'Of course I'm not. I cant wait around here all day, I have other people to see and things seem…'

She peered past Temperance towards Toby's pram. The boy had stopped crying and had settled for a loud sniffle and the occasional hiccup.

'…fine, so I'll just see you when Miss Saroyan is more accommodating.'

She twitched her nose before turning on her heel and exiting the room, almost knocking into a passing nurse who jumped back quickly and stared after the retreating woman before turning to Temperance where she stood still in the doorway.

'Are you Miss Monroe?'

Brennan almost laughed.

'No, that was Miss Monroe, I'm Dr. Brennan. Is this about Miss Saroyan?'

'Yes but…'

She trailed of and the young nurse seemed to hop from foot to foot whilst she pondered whether or not she was allowed to tell Brennan what she knew.

'Are you err family?'

'Not exactly.'

She saw her hesitate again.

'I'm a friend, I'm taking care of her son.'

She nodded a head in Toby's direction. The nurse beamed and walked forward to coo over the still apparently miserable baby.

'Is he teething?'

'No, he just wont stop crying.'

The nurse shrugged.

'They do that sometimes, my sister just had a baby, she said he cries all the time.'

Temperance nodded and the woman stepped towards her.

'I shouldn't really tell you this but since you're looking after the kid there and you are a doctor…'

Temperance didn't think pointing out the difference between and MD and a Phd would help right now.

'…I think I'm ok to tell you about Camille.'

Temperance smiled.

'Where is she? What's going on?'

'Try not to worry too much, they performed her surgery this morning.'

'This morning! But her surgery wasn't supposed to be until Wednesday!'

'Yes. Unfortunately her condition deteriorated further and her surgeon thought it best to go ahead with it early.'

'So where is now?'

'She's in intensive care, after the surgery she was running a fever so they checked her over and it seems everything didn't go as well as they'd hoped for.'

'Is…is she ok?'

The nurse placed a comforting hand on her arm.

'She's on a ventilator at the moment and she still has a high fever. We always knew the surgery would be risky, her condition has really taken it out of her, her immune systems not what it should be at the minute…'

'Just tell me the truth, what does all that mean for Cam?'

The nurse sighed and patted her arms again.

'The next twenty four hours are going to be critical.'

This time Temperance understood, she'd either get better or she'd die, simple as that. She let out a shaky breath and her eyes slid from the nurses unbearably sympathetic face to the floor.

'You can sit with her if you want.'

The nurse slowly headed towards the door but Temperance stopped her.

'Err wait! I…erm…can you…will you watch him for a minute for me?'

She nodded once more in Toby's direction.

'I err…'

'I need to make a call.'

Temperance didn't wait for the nurses reply and left the room trusting her to watch Toby. Temperance hurried out through the hospital until she was stood before the entrance doors. She took a large gulp of air and took out her phone with a slightly shaking hand, pressing her speed dial and pushing the cell phone to her ear.

'Booth, it me…'


	33. Verbum satienti, A word is enough

**Chapter 33 **

**Verbum satienti - A word is enough **

'Are you ok?'

It was twenty minutes later and Temperance hopped from foot to foot outside the hospital entrance as Booth approached her from the SUV. He reached her placing both arms on her shoulders as if to check her over for himself.

'I'm fine its not me…its Cam.'

He stepped back and frowned apprehensively.

'Then why am I here?'

She took his hand and tugged him through the entrance doors.

'She's ill Booth.'

'Of course she's ill, why else would you have Toby.'

His sarcasm irritated her. She knew he had his issues but it wasn't what she needed in a time when she wanted nothing more for him to be understanding and supporting whilst saying all the right things.

'Booth, this is serious, she…she could die.'

The colour drained from his face and he turned from her slightly swallowing hard.

'What's wrong with her?'

'They moved her surgery forward, there was complications.'

'So what's happening now?'

'She's in intensive care. Her immune system's shot to pieces and she's running a fever. All in all its not looking great.'

'And what have they told you about her chances?'

She shrugged.

'Same as they always tell you, the next twenty four hours are crucial.'

Booth sighed and ran a hand through his hair before turning back to her.

'So where's Toby.'

'With a nurse but I really should be getting back. Look Booth I know you still have…issues with Cam, so do I but…but I need you right now…'

He looked directly at her.

'…I need you be here for me because I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing. Even after everything that's happened with Cam we still…she's part of our life Booth, whether we like it or not she's shaped the way our relationship turned out and we have a history with her. You dated her on and off for three years for crying out loud and now she might die and her son, the baby we're caring for, the baby you almost claimed as your own, may be left without anyone else in the world. I don't know what I'm doing here Booth, I'm our of my depth. I've been dealing with this Cam thing for weeks, not once have I asked you to see Cam or get involved with her, not once and now I need your help and all you can…and all…'

She fell silent and he closed his eyes briefly, cursing himself for being so emotionally redundant. He wrapped both arms around her and she reciprocated the action falling into the embrace and breathing deeply. He pulled back and kissed her softly on the forehead whilst rubbing what he hoped were soothing circles on her lower back.

'I'm sorry Temperance. I should have been able to get over this. I've been a complete idiot, I know that, I should have been there for you.'

'I understand why you weren't Booth, you're here now, that's all that matters.'

He smiled softly at her and released her catching her hand in his own.

'Come on, we'd better go get Toby then…then we should probably go see Cam.'

Temperance smiled back and squeezed his hand.

'Thank you Booth, thank you.'

* * *

Toby was still crying even as the pair pushed his pram up to the intensive care unit. The stopped outside and settled on yet another set of hard plastic chairs, the boys wails drawing cautious looks from passing nurses and patients alike.

'Has he been like that all morning?'

'Yeah, I don't know what it is, I've fed him, changed his, he cant be tired cos' he slept nearly all night…I really don't know what it is.'

'Colic?'

'Cam said he'd already had it.'

'New tooth?'

'No I checked.'

'What about Binkie?'

Brennan froze for a moment, hovering over the pram.

'Of course, that stupid bear. I should have known. I don't even know where it is.'

'I think it might be in my car, I'll go get it later.'

She smiled gratefully and left the pram to look through the glass window before her and into the intensive care ward.

'She looks so ill Booth.'

Booth had yet to set eyes on his former lover and entertained himself instead with her child, pushing the pram in an attempt to hush the infant. Brennan wasn't going to push the issue and instead focused on the pale woman in the hospital bed through the glass. The sight of Cam hooked up to a ventilator, deathly still with the sheets drawn up to her chin, pulled Brennan back to a night more than two years ago when she was faced with a similar sight. That night it had been Epps fault Cam was hospitalised fighting for her life but that wasn't the case this time. The reason Cam was in hospital now was because she was too damn stubborn after the birth of her child to ask for help until it was almost too late. A bubble of anger rose in Temperance's chest at the position Cam had put her in but then dissipated as she mentally shook herself not to be so selfish, after all it wasn't her in there fighting for her life whilst her son was being cared for by people she'd only turned to because her own family didn't seem to care. Brennan sighed and pulled her hair from the hasty ponytail she'd forced it into.

'Booth I…can you watch him for a while, I need a few minutes.'

Booth looked up from the pram a slightly surprised expression on his face.

'Please Booth, I'll get the bear on my way back, I wont be long.'

'Ok, just…ok.'

She bent and dropped a brief kiss to Booths cheek before starting down the corridor, the sudden need to be as far away as possible from Cam, Toby and Booth becoming overwhelming.

* * *

The hospital corridors were as unwelcoming and claustrophobic as ever as Temperance strode down them with the unwelcomingly familiar feeling of purposelessness. She found her way from the floor Cam was on and down a corridor she yet to travel down. She took a moment to note that all corridors in the god forsaken hospital looked the same, painted as they were an off shade of cream, and began to find a sense of frustration building at the fact she had no actual destination, no way to vent her confusing and conflicting feeling and she probably only had fifteen more minutes or so before she had to return to Toby's cries and the steady beeping of Cams ventilator. She made a snap decision and followed through on it, walking through the next door she found. The moment the smell hit her she knew it had been a mistake.

The thick fragrance on incense and pine mixed with fresh cut flowers hit her immediately and a quick look around confirmed she had found the chapel. She turned to leave, with everything that was going on now really wasn't the time to question her beliefs or pray to a god she didn't believe in for a life that had so complicated her own. Something, however, stopped her. The room was warm, inviting, the walls painted a deep shade of magenta with a pleasant gold border. The few small pews were varnished a deep mahogany and felt smooth to the touch as she ran a hand down the one nearest to her. They were all empty.

She shuffled into one, glancing around first to be satisfied no one was around. Her mind grew foggy, her eyelids heavy and she let them drift slowly closed, her head lolling back as the heat and scent of the room coupled with the soft choir music playing from the speaker in the corner wrapped around her in a comfort blanket of utter security. For a moment she forgot, forgot everything about Cam and Toby and Booth and the case, forgot that she was struggling to look after Toby, forgot that her and Booth were having more problems than they wanted to admit and forgot that the weight of her relatively small world were on her shoulders…but only for a moment. A whisper of a noise from the corner of the room had her alert again, her eyes flying open, her legs standing to attention and shuffling quickly from the pew.

'Wait! Please! I didn't mean to startle you.'

She stopped in her tracks and groaned inwardly knowing that even she was above running away from a priest. She turned to face the small man and found herself looking at her shoes not sure of what to say.

'I'm sorry my child, you don't have to go.'

'No, I…I didn't know anyone was in here. I was just leaving.'

'It didn't look like you were about to leave if you don't mind me saying. You looked quiet peaceful there.'

She found herself unsure of what to say.

'Please sit.'

The priest gestured for her to sit beside him in the pew and she found herself unable to say no.

'Tell me, please, what's troubling you?'

'Look, Father I'm not religious.'

The priest merely smiled.

'This house of God is open to all my child, please, tell me.'

Temperance crinkled her forehead and inhaled. Then, before she knew what had happened the whole story came spilling out. The entire thing, everything, from Cams deception and the tension with Booth right up to Toby's crying and her fathers trial, she poured her heart out and told the small priest the complete story as he sat patiently next to her. When she was finished she sniffed loudly and took the tissue offered to her by the priest at her side.

'I actually feel kinda better, thank you for listening.'

'Anytime, it sounds to me like it was about time you got that off your chest, you certainly have had a rough time of it lately haven't you.'

She didn't answer but knew it was time to leave, she'd been gone quite long enough. The priest stood when she did.

'Thank you again for listening.'

'No, thank you for talking. Here, I want you to take this and remember that sometimes things aren't as complicated as they seem and in most cases the good book will have the answer.'

He pushed a pocket Bible into her palm and turned away. She looked at it and turned to call after him.

'But I told you, I'm not…'

It was no use, the priest had already slipped behind the curtain he'd entered from and Temperance didn't want to waste anymore time. She shoved the Bible unceremoniously into her bag and headed out with at least one target. Task No. 1: Collect Binkie.

* * *

**There you are, so what did you think, all reviews are welcomed, I love to hear from you all and hope to have the next part up very soon :)**


	34. Ab Imo,,, From the bottom of,,,

**Chapter 34 **

**Ab imo pectore - From the bottom of my heart**

Booth rolled his head and rubbed at his neck with his free hand, attempting to ignore the dull ache forming in the arm that Toby currently occupied. It was later that same night and after much persuasion Temperance had finally gone home for a well earned rest. Booth, staying true to his word had offered to keep vigil over Cam with Toby. The infant had finally settled after the reintroduction of the much loved bear, Binkie and was now slumbering softly in Booths arms. A nurse had appeared shortly before Temperance had left to tell them that although she was not out of the woods Cams fever had significantly subsided and they were pleased with her progress. As a result she had been moved back to her private room and taken of the ventilator and Booth was now seated a mere three feet away from her on the chair at her beside rather than observing her through a glass pane. Booth watched her now with tired eyes, her steady but still laboured breathing, the dark circles beneath her sunken lids, the oddly pale tone of her skin offset against her familiar dark locks of hair that sat limp on the pillow behind her. He glanced down to the baby I his arms and mused briefly on his partner with a single thought flashing through his mind.

'_I should have been here'_

He pushed away the flicker of guilt surging through him as the machine beside Cams bed beeped and he heard a soft groan coming from among the sheet. He froze, unsure of whether to run for cover of stay and face the thing he had been avoiding for weeks, an audience with Cam

'Seeley?'

Her voice was cracked as though her throat was dry and he turned to see her eyes slightly open, a frown of her face. He went for the best option he had, stay and go with it…

'How are you Camille?'

To his surprise she smiled slightly and didn't miss a beat as she replied.

'Don't call me Camille.'

His reply was reflex.

'Don't call me Seeley.'

He couldn't help the smile that crept across his lips and wondered what had happened. He had been prepared for awkwardness and residual resentment on his part towards Cam but there was none. There was no hate, no real anger, simply the deeply rooted feeling that things weren't as they should be, that things should be better than this, easier than this.

'Where's Temperance?'

Booth blinked for a moment, unaware that Cam called his partner by her given name, a name that he himself used only sparingly.

'I sent here home, she's been here all day.'

A flash of realisation seemed to pass over Cams face.

'Of course, the review meeting.'

'Yeah, apparently Miss Monroe wasn't exactly pleased. Bones got here this morning to find you'd already had your surgery.'

'What happened, the last thing I remember is talking to my consultant.'

'I don't know everything, the whole not being family thing restricts what they can tell us but from what I know the antibiotics weren't working so they took you to surgery early and complications led to an infection. They moved you back from intensive care a couple of hours ago, that's when I sent Bones home.'

Cam tried to push herself up on the pillows and Booth moved forward to help before remembering Toby in his arms and moving back into the seat. Cam finally seemed to be comfortable and opened her mouth to speak.

'If Brennan's gone home why is Toby here and not with her?'

'He's been crying a lot today. I thought he was better off here in case he woke up again, she deserves a good nights sleep.'

'From what I hear sleep isn't something she's been getting much of just lately.'

Booth turned away and gingerly placed Toby in his pram before turning back to Cam, his voice several octaves lower than it had been only seconds before.

'What exactly have you been hearing?'

'This and that?'

'Who from?'

Cam went on the defence.

'Its not like I've been gossiping Booth, Temperance only tells me what she wants. From what she has said she's a bit short on people to talk to at the minute.'

'And whats that supposed to mean?'

'Booth don't get like that with me because you don't scare me. I know things between you and Temperance have been tense lately and I know at least part of that is down to me…'

'You think?'

'Sarcasm isn't helping Booth. Like I was saying it may be partly down to me but from listening to her I'm starting to think there's a lot more going on in your relationship than even you realise .'

'My relationship, our relationship, is nothing to do with you.'

'Its everything to do with me when its my shoulder she's crying on.'

Booth was quieter when he next spoke.

'I know…that things aren't perfect right now. I know she still has issues about what happened between me, you and her, with what you did…'

'That's where you wrong. What I did was wrong, I know that, she knows that. We've talked, she's come to terms with what I did, we're ok. What she has issues with is the fact that you cant let it go. Your head is still living in six months ago and you're ignoring the here and now, you're ignoring her.'

'I'd never…I haven't been ignoring her.'

'Booth she's barely staying afloat and you're complete clueless.'

'She's fine, I know she's stressed at the minute but…'

Cam shook her head.

'You really have no idea do you.'

'Well why don't you enlighten me then, you seem to have all the answers.'

Silence fell between them for a few moments before Cam replied.

'She's so unsure of everything right now and for a woman who's life is centred around being in control that's a disaster. For starters your case right now is a shambles…'

Booth moved to protest but she halted him.

'No, come on she's told me all about it, you have no leads and you're up to four victims, its hardly promising is it.'

Booth conceded the argument and let her continue.

'She's trying to right by me, by Toby whilst trying not to make everyone in the lab hate her.'

'What do you mean?'

'From what she's said not that many people think she's made the right decision in helping me and although she doesn't need it she could really do with her friends support right now. Her old friend is one of victims in your case which isn't helping since she has to deal with Michael being involved. Then there's you.'

Booth looked at her.

'She's more unsure about you than anything. She wants to be with you but is scared of loosing her independence so doesn't want to move in but at the same time she's scared that if she doesn't move in you'll leave her. You arrested her father and put him in prison which she supports but wishes had never happened. Then there's the baby issue..'

'Baby issue?'

'She overheard you the other morning with Toby saying part of you wished you were his dad.'

He groaned and sighed heavily.

'I didn't know she was there.'

'She thinks she's not enough Booth, she thinks that without a baby she's never going to be everything you want, everything you need and its hurting her.'

'I told her, I told her she was all I needed.'

'But you didn't mean it did you.'

'Of course I did, I love her more than anything.'

'But you'd love her child more.'

'Look I'm not going to lie, any child we had together would be…it'd be everything, a little miracle that we'd made but, its not what she wants and at the end of the day I want her to be happy, baby or no baby.'

'Then you need to talk to her, you need to talk to her and between you you need to work out how to be happy because if you don't help her with this its going to ruin everything you've fought for and trust me…this time it'll be nothing to do with me.'

* * *


	35. Omnia Munda,,, Everything is pure to,,,

**Chapter 35 **

**Omnia munda mundis - Everything is pure to the pure men **

_**Previously…**_

'…_you need to talk to her and between you you need to work out how to be happy because if you don__'__t help her with this its going to ruin everything you__'__ve fought for and trust me__…__this time it__'__ll be nothing to do with me…__'_

_**Meanwhile…**_

Temperance entered the apartment and threw her keys down on the coffee table. She was exhausted, mentally, physically, emotionally…Her day had not gone to plan. Cams sudden deterioration had been a wake-up call for Brennan. The almost-death of the relatively young mother had highlighted the infinite fragility of life and if Temperance was honest it had shaken her. She dealt with death every day but as Booth had said often it wasn't the death that necessarily mattered it was the people left behind. She had learnt that the hard way after the discovery of her mothers demise but Cams illness and her growing bond with Toby had only cemented the idea.

She thought back to the small boy who has spent his day crying over a missing teddy bear and found tears springing to her eyes. She settled on the sofa pulling her knees to her chest as the unbidden tears slipped softly down her cheeks. She wondered what would happen to Toby should Cam die. Would he go to her absent parents? The 'holier than thou' sister? Maybe the unknown father could be called upon? Or would he be destined for the foster system? Her immediate thought was that at least he was young, he'd do well in the system, he'd be adopted quickly, find a good home with loving parents…eventually. He'd be an orphan, a innocent baby with an emotive story, not a difficult teenager with an awkward past that was best not talked about.

But Cam wasn't dead she was fine and Toby wasn't an orphan. An odd though crossed her mind as she wondered where Hannah Sinclair's son was. He'd been adopted, was he happy? Did he know he was adopted, that he'd had another mother once upon a time, a mother who had been murdered in cold blood? She thought probably not. What about Anna Swanstone's son. He was an orphan now. Fair enough, in his mid-thirties he was hardly a child but he was still an orphan, a motherless son. Temperance wondered if he missed her, if he was angry about what happened, if her felt the loss and separation in the same way an abandoned fifteen year old girl might.

Deborah Kern had two daughter. Had their father finally told them of their mothers death? Did they know she wasn't coming home? Temperance wondered how those little girls would cope, how they would live the rest of their lives overshadowed by the death of their mother. She mused over how important mothers are to their daughters. Anthropologically the bond between mother and child was among one of the most important we encounter in our whole lives and yet, she mused, some people grow up never knowing their mothers, never knowing a mothers unconditional love.

Temperance found the thought disturbing and turned her thought instead to where Toby was now, at the hospital, with Booth. She wondered how Booth was coping, if he was coming to terms with seeing Cam again or not. She remembered her brief outpouring of anguish to the hospital priest and shook her head at how ridiculous she felt to have let things get to her so much. Her tears slowed before stopping all together. She scrubbed at her face and lowered her knees. Crying and abstract thoughts would get her nowhere, what she needed was a breakthrough in the case. She pulled the case file from the coffee table where she had left it that morning and read through the pages for what seemed like the millionth time.

She threw the file back down on the table and exhaled loudly into the empty apartment. The file was useless, she knew everything that was in it and they were still no closer to even having an inkling of who they were looking for.

* * *

Booth loved being on the road at this time of night. The radio told him it was 11:45 and this was reflected by the quiet of the streets, the sparsely populated of the road. The yellow glow of street lights flickered through the windows of the SUV as they passed, illuminating both the face of the man driving and the baby asleep in the back of the vehicle. The calm, still atmosphere of the road relaxed Seeley and drove away the complicated tensions of the day. He was tired, drained even but him mind was focused. He was driving to Temperance's home, determined to drop Toby off and ensure she was safely tucked in bed before he left. Their talk would have to wait for now, he knew that, it was too late tonight.

He jumped slightly as his phone rang piecing the perfect silence of the vehicle. He fumbled for it quickly whilst trying to focus on the road and managed to push it to his ear before the ringing woke Toby.

'Booth.'

'Booth its Drew.'

'Drew?'

His tired mind struggled to place the name before Parker's face materialised along with Rebecca's and he remembered. Drew - the father of Rebecca's baby and his sons step father, that Drew.

'Look Booth, I'll get right to it, I need your help…'

* * *

Temperance rubbed her eyes and yawned. She stood, stretched her legs out and willing away the ache she felt in them. She was about to turn out the lights and head to bed when she heard the ever-irritable noise of her phone buzzing around on the coffee table. She snatched at it hoping that whatever it was it was good enough to be calling at midnight.

'Brennan.'

'Bones its me.'

'Booth? What is it? Is it Cam, is something wrong?'

'No, Cams fine, I just left her.'

'Are you bringing Toby here then?'

'No, look, I know its late but I need you to meet me.'

'What? Where?'

Her tired mind struggled to order thoughts and process what she was being told.

'Barcroft Street.'

Something clicked as her brain pieced the address together

'Barcroft…but that's…'

'I know.'

She suddenly found the air heavy in her lungs as the possible scenario's ran through her head, all equally devastating.

'Booth, what's happened?'

She heard him sigh then answered in a resigned tone.

'Rebecca's missing.'


	36. Vade Mecum, Go with me

**Chapter ****36 **

**Vade mecum - Go with me**

'Maybe we should have asked Angela to take Toby.'

'No, its gone midnight, she'll be asleep, besides we don't have time.'

Temperance just gave a short sigh and climbed out of the SUV to take the baby in question from Booth as they made their way up the path towards Rebecca's house. When Temperance had arrived home earlier that evening she had wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and forget the rest of the world existed. However, the minute Booth had phoned to tell her of Rebecca's disappearance she had known that sleep was definitely not an option. Five minutes later Booth had turned up at her door insisting they start the investigation immediately and that was how an irritable FBI agent, a tired forensic anthropologist and a sleeping baby came to be standing on the sidewalk of the leafy suburban street in central DC at twenty past twelve at night.

Booth knocked loudly at the door, the hollow side echoing down the empty road before disappearing into the cool night air. The door opened quickly, a shaky looking Drew urging them into the main room. Once there he turned to Booth.

'Thanks for coming.'

'We got here as quick as we could.'

'I just didn't know who else to call.'

Drew's panic was evident as he paced the room gesturing for Booth and Brennan to sit. The pair complied, Temperance willing her urge to just fall asleep on the comfy couch as she watched Toby enviously as he dozed on in her arms.

'Have you called the police?'

Drew made a noise in the back of his throat.

'Yeah for all the good it did me. They won't do anything until she's been missing for more than 48 hours. It's just…it's not good enough, I know she hasn't left me, we're happy, we're having a baby together for crying out loud. I know she hasn't left me; someone's taken here, something's happened. We're happy.'

There was a pause.

'Besides, she wouldn't just leave Parker.'

Booth nodded in agreement and wondered for the first time where his son was. Brennan voiced the silent question.

'Where is Parker?'

'With my parents, they don't live far from here. They're good with Parker and Becca and Booth's parents live too far away, Rosa's away for the week so there wasn't anyone else. I thought…I thought it best for him to not be here for a while, especially if the police do come.'

Booth nodded again apparently pleased with Drew's care of Parker.

'Drew I need you to tell me exactly what happened in the run up to you realizing she was missing.'

'Yesterday…she went out with Parker; they had ice-cream, bought a few bits for the baby. I was working all day. I came home at five and the house was quiet. When I shouted for them Parker came down from upstairs, he'd been playing in his room. I looked for Becca but she wasn't in the house. They'd only been home half an hour…Parker…Rebecca had been taken and Parker hadn't even heard anyone come in.'

Booth sighed.

'What did you tell him?'

'That him mom had gone out for a while and that he was going to nanny Grace and grandpa Ted's house for a little while.'

Booth didn't seem to know what questions to ask next so Brennan deftly passed Toby over to him and took over.

'Was there anything out of the ordinary about the past few days, I mean for example do they normally go shopping on Sundays?'

'It depends.'

'On what?'

Booth answered.

'On whether or not he stays with me'

'Which depends on?'

'If you stay with me and if Rebecca lets me have him. He didn't stay this Saturday night because of the turn up of the fibers on Phoebe Conner's clothing.'

Temperance remembered now, Booth had been forced to alter his plans with Parker in order to make the trip to Phoebe's lab.

'Was there any sign of a struggle?'

'No, none, like I said Parker didn't even know anything had happened and he was only upstairs, dinner was cooking in the kitchen, the radio was on, she just…she was just gone and we need to find her, we need to find her now before anything…before anything…'

Drew seemed to break down at this and Booth and Brennan took this as their cue to leave.

'We'll do our best, I promise. We'll find her.'

Drew looked up, his eyes tired and withdrawn.

'I know you will, I know.'

* * *

Brennan's living room felt miniscule as Booth paced it.

'Right, we need to come up with a plan, I'll get onto the local PD see if they cant prioritize Rebecca's case…'

'Booth…'

'Then we need to see if there are any updates on the case…'

'Booth…'

'We should probably call the hospital too, check on Cam, oh and we'll have to find someone to take Toby because…'

'BOOTH!'

He stopped pacing and turned to her. Toby's cries filled the room and Brennan moved to sooth him.

'We can't do anything tonight and you know it. We're both too tired to be of use to anyone, let alone Rebecca. First thing tomorrow we'll work on what we've got. The case isn't going anywhere, we don't have any leads, and you know that. I'm still waiting for the iconographer from Yale to get back to me on the numbers but that probably won't be until Wednesday at the earliest and even then it might not help. As for Cam, its one in the morning, she'll be asleep…like we should be. Now go home, sleep.'

'I could just stay here.'

'You could but I can't see this being a bad night with Toby and you need your sleep more than I do now go.'

'Kicking me out?'

She smiled and kissed him swiftly on the cheek.

'Yes, now go, sleep. Pick me up in the morning, 8, ok?'

Booth nodded reluctantly before kissing her and slowly slipping from the apartment. Brennan held Toby close as he fell asleep once more snuggled again her. She tugged her hair from the ponytail it was in with her free hand and brushed her fingers through her hair. She walked down the hall entering the spare room to settle Toby in his cot. The infant immediately snuggled into the blankets, his thumb drifting between his dusky pink lips. Brennan smiled in admiration at how the baby was still able to find such peace in an otherwise chaotic and distressing day. She backed slowly from the room, conscious on the sound of her footfall on the odd creaky floorboard. She turned the baby monitor on and positioned it on the bedside table before exiting the room and closing the door with a soft click.

She traveled further down the hall, flicking the lights out as she went. She rolled her shoulders slowly as she entered her bedroom, determined to make the most of the few hours' sleep she could get. She couldn't even be bothered to get changed and reached for the coverlet on the bed in anticipation on the comfort her cozy mattress would offer. Toeing off her shoes she ran a brush quickly through her hair and turned back towards the bed only to stop frozen to the spot as she caught a flash of an unexpected image in the mirror of her dressing table. She turned slowly to investigate only to be met simultaneously by a blinding light, a sharp pain and then…everything went dark and there was nothing.

* * *

**_Coming up: Whats happened to Brennan? Where is Rebecca? and Booth finally has a break-through on the case_**


	37. Aquila non capit,,,An Eagle does not,,,

**Chapter 37 **

**Aquila non capit muscas - An eagle does not catch flies **

When Booth woke the next morning it was to a pounding headache and an incessant ringing in his ears. He groaned briefly before rolling over and snatching the phone from its cradle on the bedside cabinet. His voice was groggy and thick with sleep when he answered, still wrapped in his bed sheets, protesting the light of day.

'Hello?'

'Booth, is that you?'

Booth sat up frowning.

'Angela?'

'Oh thank god it is you.'

The artists voice had a panicky, unnerving tone to it.

'Angela what is it, its half six in the morning?'

'Booth you have to come to Brennan's quick.'

That had his attention.

'What? Why?'

'I think something's happened'

Angela's voice now came across as small and mimicked a frightened childs.

'Like what?'

Booth was already out of bed, hurriedly dressing in yesterdays clothes, the phone clutched between his ear and shoulder.

'There isn't time to explain, please just get her as quick as you can.'

She didn't give him time to reply as the line went dead and Booth was left to fumple around his bedroom as her rushed to get ready and his brain tried to piece together the jumbled information of the last few hours.

* * *

'Oh thank God!' 

Booth was on high alert at the relief in Angela's voice as he approached her on the corridor outside Brennan's apartment. At first nothing seemed out of place except for the distressed woman whom he was walking towards. It was only as he neared the door that he heard it, a low cry like a wail emerging from inside the apartment. Booth knew instantly what it was. Toby.

'Booth, I didn't know what to do. The neighbours called me half an hour ago, apparently Toby's been crying non stop all night and when they knocked on the door to ask Brennan to quieten him there was no answer. Brennan put me as her emergency contact when she signed her lease so the building manager had my number. I've tried calling her and everything but she isn't answering and I left my keys at the lab last night so I don't have a spare and the lab doesn't open for hours and she could just be lying in the unconscious or worse and there's nothing I can do and poor Toby's crying and…and…'

'Calm down, it'll be ok.'

Booth wasn't sure if the words were for Angela's benefit or his own as he spoke them and dug his hands into his pocket extracting his spare key as the panic that had been rising in his chest since Angela had phones threatened to bubble over.

Booth unlocked the door and entered the apartment, Angela rushing past him and down the hallway in the direction of Toby's cries. Booth glanced around at the living area of the otherwise empty apartment. Everything seemed as it should be but Booth knew something was definitely not right. Angela re-emerged clutching a whimpering red-faced Toby in her arms and wearing an almost grief stricken expression on her face.

'She's not here Booth, she's not here.'

Booth didn't say anything, he was struggling to think straight, struggling to think at all. He stepped around Angela, striding in the direction of Brennan's bedroom. He was smothered by the undeniable scent of her that resided most strongly in her room and fought hard to block out the memories of the night he had spent with her there less than forty eight hours earlier. Angela moved into the room behind him, Toby still sobbing.

'Something's happened Booth, she wouldn't just leave him. He must have been alone for hours. She wouldn't leave Toby like that, she just wouldn't.'

Booth nodded slowly but still didn't speak as he stepped around the bed.

'What happened Booth, I mean when did you last talk to her.'

'Last night…Cam, she…'

'Cam?'

It was only then Booth realised just how much had happened in the last twenty four hours.

'Yesterday…in the morning…Temperance went to the hospital, Cam had gotten worse, they thought she might die, Bones was upset so I went to support her, then I sent her home for some rest.'

He paused for breath and Angela jumped in.

'Booth, forget that now, we need to find her.'

'I'm working on it ok! I cant call in her disappearance until we can prove she didn't just leave.'

'Of course she didn't just leave!'

'I know that, you know that but when I call this in and the investigating officer finds out that she was investigating the murder of one of her oldest friends, working on a serial killer case, taking care of a baby she had reason to hate and going through…shall we say certain difficulties in the personal relationship she happened to be having against protocol with her FBI partner I'll tell you know that the first thing they will think is that she left.'

Angela stopped talking and clutched Toby closer to her to hush the baby boy. Booth walked around the other side of the bed and continued his account of the previous evening more for himself than Angela.

'Cam got better, she's going to be ok. I was on my way here when I got a call from Drew. Rebecca's missing, he thinks she was kidnapped. Me and Bones went over there to check it out then came back here. She told me…she told me to go home, get some rest. I haven't heard from her since.'

'When was that?'

'About one.'

'Booth, that's five hours ago.'

He ignored her and knelt down to peer under the bed.

'Booth what are you doing?'

Angela was beginning to sound desperate for him to take action.

'I told you, I'm looking for evidence.'

'Of what?'

'I don't know, a struggle, a kidnap…something...'

'And how do you know it's in here?'

'Because the door was open, Temperance doesn't leave the bedroom door open, she says…she says she likes to keep it separate, her safe haven.'

He stood up again and forced himself to concentrate.

_Come on Booth, its here, you know it is you just have to focus, come on…_

'That's it.'

'What?'

'The bed, Angela look at the bed.'

She did, seeing nothing out of order.

'What about it?'

'The sheets Angela, they're folded back. If she was leaving then why fold the sheets back ready for bed?'

He raced from the room leaving her to hurry in his wake, shouting over his shoulder as he went.

'Come on, we have to get to the lab. I'll call this in on the way. We'll find her, we'll find her.'

As Booth strode to the SUV he remembered speaking the same words to Drew the previous night and suddenly realised that they really weren't as calming when you were saying them to yourself.

* * *

Stanley Clark took his job as a postal worker very seriously and this morning was no exception. He had woken bright and early at 6:00am to a house full of screaming kids and a wife who was screaming at him just as loud asking when he was going to get a proper job so they could leave the two bed roomed apartment they occupied together with their three children. After promising he would think about it Stan, as he was known to his few friends, grabbed a quick piece of toast and was on his way. 

His morning once more brought about the mundane normality and formal structure of his work, posting news both good and bad through the doors of people he would possibly never meet and would most likely know nothing more about than their zip code. Yes Stan's work would be described by many as boring but as he neared the end of his round Stan perked up as he reached one of his favourite doors. Even with his passion for the postal service even he could admit that the work was often dull however he could honestly say that having the honour of delivering Temperance Brennan's post brought about a certain sense of frivolity.

He could safely say that Dr Brennan had the most interesting post of anyone on his route. He never read the post of course, he was far too professional for that, but even from the envelopes he could tell so much about the post within. Miss Brennan's post was always in pristine condition, the name and address written neatly as though the sender had practiced that flick on the final 'N' for hours before copying it out. The stationary too was always of a far greater quality than the final demands and junk mail Stan usually delivered. It was always heavy and thick, often with swirls embossed on the envelope of decorative edging on the flap to denote its finer quality. Then of course there were the stamps, they were Stan's favourite bit. A stamp could tell a thousand stories he'd say and he was right. He always enjoyed flicking a professional eye over Miss Brennan's post to see where the stamp was from. Letters of importance flying first class around the world regularly arrived with Stan to their final destination and each of their stamps were casually perused by the underpaid overworked postal enthusiast.

Yes, it was certainly safe to say that delivering Temperance Brennan's post was Stanley's highlight in an otherwise mundane day but today…today was different. The wife and kids on his mind, his own letters of final demands and the nagging reminder of other unpaid bills coupled with an upcoming visit from his unaccommodating mother-in-law meant that, for that morning at least, Stan didn't even glance at the envelopes he shoved through the door of apartment 2b and onto the bare mat. Most likely it was irrelevant anyway. Had Stan looked at the letters that morning her probably would never have realised the significance of one small lilac envelope tucked among the others. He probably wouldn't have noticed the way the ink was curled affectionately on the paper to form the recipients name or the way it had been set, along with the address, perfectly central on the envelope. He perhaps wouldn't have noticed the way the edges of the envelope were curled slightly as though to reflect the way its sender had gripped it and twisted it lightly in their hands for almost and hour after sealing it whilst they debated whether or not to send it. Its perfectly plausible that Stan wouldn't have notice the out of state post mark or the absence of the title 'doctor' from the recipients name. After all Stan was a postal worker, he wasn't perfect and the chances are that even if he had noticed all those things he never in a million years would have realised that had that letter arrived just a few weeks earlier it could have quite possibly saved a life…

* * *

**oooh the drama lol, what do you think, reviews make me smile :)**


	38. Arcana coelesha, Secrets of heaven

**Chapter 38 **

**Arcana coelesha - Secrets of heaven **

'You even think of saying the words 'calm' and 'down' and take my word for it I will shoot you.'

Hodgins frowned and turned to Angela for support.

'Booth, maybe you should take a break, there's not much you can do here.'

That was the problem, there was nothing he could do. They'd been at the Jeffersonian all morning and with the team successfully whipped into a frenzy of panic he was beginning to feel more and more helpless. They had spent the morning reviewing all the evidence from the serial killer case, with Booth convinced that his partners disappearance along with Rebecca's had to be linked with the case they were working, a point he had vehemently expressed to Cam when she had questioned him just half and hour previously.

'_I just know they__'__re linked ok.__'_

'_But you cant be sure of that.__'_

'_Well I am ok.__'_

He wasn't completely blind, he was well aware that he was currently living in a deep pit of denial mixed with a desperate hope. The truth was he had to believe there was a link between the assumed kidnappings of Brennan and Rebecca and the case because if he didn't then that was like admitting he had no idea what had happened, had no idea how to help, how to find them…and he wasn't willing to do that.

'Ok everyone just…stop…just stop a minute.'

The already relatively still lab grinded to a halt. Zach narrowly missed running straight into a metal pillar as he skidded to a stop midway through running across the lab.

'Booth…'

'Not now Zach, look I need you all to listen.'

'But…'

'Zach not now, we're not doing this right, we need to be more organised.'

'But I think…'

'Zach for crying out loud, just wait ok. Right Hodgins, I need you to review all the evidence on any particulates you've found.'

The self confessed buy and slime guy frowned up from his work station.

'But I already…'

'I don't care if you've looked at it a million times already, look at it again.'

Hodgins sighed but didn't argue.

'Angela I need you to focus on the victims of the serial killer case, I know we've already looked but I need you to try find a link between the victims.'

Angela nodded and stood waiting to see what other tasks were going to be given out.

'I need someone to get to the hospital and see Cam, I need her to go over Brennan's notes, maybe she was on to something, or if she wasn't then maybe Cam can find something she missed.'

No one in the room thought Cam would find anything Brennan missed but again no one argued, it wasn't the time.

'Zach, I need you to go over the evidence that the scene of crime guys found at Brennan's and Rebecca's place, you never know something might come up.'

'Ok, but...'

'Just do it Zach. Right, I'm going to go review all the witness statements and testimonials for the relatives, if you find anything call me.'

Booth nodded to the squints and turned, heading towards the doors of the lab as they scuttled away to carry out the tasks he had set. Zach however didn't move but instead simply stood there, hesitating for only a moment as he grappled with his minor fear of Booths intimidation before a clear and succinct image of his friend and mentor flashed through his mind and he called out to the agent.

'BOOTH!'

The agent stopped at the doors before turning slowly, his face holding a stony expression that almost made Zach doubt himself.

'This had better be good Zach. Bones is out there somewhere, with some…maniac and if we don't find her soon then…I don't even want to think about it so if this is going to waste my time I swear to God you'll be able to redefine the meaning of pain. I swear to God Zach, if anything happens to her…'

Zach looked at the agent blankly.

'Dr. Brennan doesn't believe in God.'

'But I do Zach and by the power of all things Holy if I don't find her because you were here babbling on about her religious preferences then…'

'Booth, just shut up and listen to me!'

Booth was so surprised and the younger mans outburst that he wasn't sure whether to hit him or do as he said and listen to him.

'The point isn't about what she believed in it…look, I was going through the contents of her bag and…'

'Just get on with it Zach.'

'Booth, if she doesn't believe in God why did she have a Bible in her bag?'

* * *

Temperance woke with a panic, her vision blocked by the thick cloth tied over her eyes, her senses muddled by the events of the last few hours and the unfamiliar surroundings she presumed herself to be in. A deeply familiar scent drifted over her, the thick air filling her lung causing her to cough and splutter slightly. She tried to concentrate, the analytical part of her mind quickly processing the fact that she had been kidnapped and tried to make the best sense of the situation she could, subconsciously recording evidence, a mental catalogue of her environment. Her head ached from the point she suspected she had been struck. She tried to move her arms around only to find herself unable to as she stretched against the bonds holding them behind her back. Her reasoning had told her that the logical answer to her current predicament was that she had been taken by the killer they had been investigating but now she was just confused, this wasn't right, there was never any evidence to suggest that he or she restrained their victims, that they held them for any length of time.

She stretched her fingers out, letting them brush the cool tiled surface she seemed to be sat on. She felt need to evaluate how large her confinements were and attempted to moved her legs forward only to be met by a large, relatively firm object and the sound of a stifled groan followed by the objects movement quickly reached her senses.

'H…hello, is anyone there?'

There was another noise and another movement. Temperance held her breath, unable to determine if the person, for she firmly believed it was another person, if the person she had unintentionally kicked was another victim, another 'prisoner' or her captor. She tried again to find out.

'Hello?'

This time a croaky voice answered.

'H…hello..?'

The owner of the voice coughed and from the hesitance of the voice Brennan evaluated that the voice was that of another victim rather than the person holding her hostage. She also decided the voice was female and felt a sudden rush of solidarity towards the stranger with whom she was sharing her ordeal.

'Are you ok? Are you hurt?'

The owner of the voice answered more quickly this time, apparently recovering slowly from the blow on the head Temperance suspected she too had received.

'I…I'm fine, at least I think I am.'

Temperance frowned and then something suddenly made sense. She wriggled determinedly, brushing her head against her shoulder in an attempt to push her blindfold off to confirm her suspicions. It worked and the scrap of grubby fabric slipped from her face. Her eyes took a few seconds to acclimatise to the low light but soon enough she was able to get a proper look at the woman in front of her, her suspicions well and truly confirmed.

'Rebecca! It is you.'

Temperance shuffled forward and pulled at Rebecca's blindfold with her teeth, an ugly taste of smoke and flowers coating her lips until Rebecca's confused eyes blinked back into her own.

'Dr Brennan?'

Rebecca looked around, seemingly more confused that Brennan as to how she had ended up in the situation she was in.

'What happened?'

Temperance opened her mouth to speak but a noise drew her eyes to the door of the small dim room they were in.

'I'm not sure, but I think we're about to find out.'

The door opened, and suddenly it all made sense.


	39. Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful

**As always I am monumentally sorry for the delay in getting this chapter done but I'm afraid real life took over, in the last 2 weeks I had my high school leavers ceremony, the flu, college deadlines and a fueding family to contend with so blame them lol anyway, as always keep the reviews coming in and hope you enjoy this part, which by the way is officially the longest part so far.

* * *

****Chapter 39 **

**Semper fidelis - Always faithful **

'_Booth, if she doesn__'__t believe in God why did she have a Bible in her bag?__'_

'What?'

Zach inhaled deeply and pulled the Bible up from his side to show Booth.

'I was going through the contents of Dr. Brennan's bag and I found a pocket Bible. I thought it was odd so I came to tell you.'

Booth didn't have time to feel bad for not listening to Zach. The wheels were turning round at breakneck speed in his headas though a switch had been flicked to set into motion a turn of events that couldn't be stopped.

'What the hell was she doing with a Bible?'

'That's what I was wondering. I…I think it's a clue.'

'Yeah but a clue to what?'

It was Angela that spoke as the squints regrouped around Zach and Booth.

'Zach, can I see that?'

Zach shrugged and passed the Bible to the artist who hurriedly flicked through it before turning to the others.

'They're marked.'

'What?'

'The pages, they're marked, and I doubt by Brennan'

'Let me see that.'

Booth snatched the book from Angela and leafed through it, confirming that the corners of some of the pages had indeed been turned over as if to mark the page. Booth stared reverently at the selected pages for what seemed to the other like hours before groaning loudly and running a free hand through his hair in frustration.

'These aren't marked at random.'

'Dr. Brennan told us that things are almost never random, why would anyone think otherwise?'

Booth was in no mood for Zach's ramblings or the mention of his missing partner and instead focussed on the task at hand.

'The pages are numbered, see.'

He flashed the pages to the squints to show them the tiny numbers pencilled in at the top of the selected pages before grimacing.

'I am going straight to hell.'

With that he tugged firmly on the top of the selected pages and tore them from the Bible one by one, moving over to a nearby workstation to lay them out on the desk before them. Angela peered at the pages.

'These bits are marked.'

The other three followed the direction of the hand and sure enough about half way down each marked page was a small scribble placed neatly next to a single underlined section of that passage. Booth picked up the page closest to him and read aloud the underlined section.

'For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 27:28'

Booth shrugged as the others looked at him, frustrated at the decline of excitement and enthusiasm he had first felt over the clue.

'It could just be a favourite passage of whoever Dr. Brennan got the Bible from.'

Hodgins stating of the obvious did nothing to aid the teams already sour mood and Booth, Angela and Hodgins all heaved a united sigh of frustration and defeat. Zach however didn't seem to be paying attention as he wandered a little away from the group to grab a case folder from a nearby desk. Booth was the first to notice the odd look of the young mans face.

'Zach? What is it?'

Zach turned to him.

'What was the reference for that Bible passage?'

Booth fumbled for the sheet and re-read the reference.

'Samuel 1 27:28.'

Zach merely nodded, mumbling to himself.

'Zach! Care to share?'

'I don't know what that means but I think we might be on to something..'

The others just looked at him and he sighed heavily before elaborating.

'Hannah Sinclair.'

'What about her?'

'Her number, it was 12728. Now normally I'd say this was a coincidence except of course for the fact that I don't believe in coincidence and…'

'Zach just stop rambling and get to the point.'

'The number matches and her son, the one she put up for adoption…he was called Sam.'

Hodgins rushed over to Zach clapping him enthusiastically on the back.

'You, my friend, are a genius.'

Zach just looked back in mild confusion.

'I know.'

Angela laughed before focussing back on the case.

'But why that particular passage?'

It was Booth who answered in slight hesitation.

'In the Old Testament Hannah was Samuels mother. She prayed for a child and when she gave birth to a son she gave him to the church to take care off, she visited him once a year.'

The group simply nodded at the information wondering where this was going.

'Come on, read the others.'

Booth grabbed another page and read the words that were underlined with a thin pencil line.

'And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Judges 4:5,14'

This time it was Angela who spotted the link.

'Deborah Kern was one of the most highly thought of judges in the city.'

Zach looked in the file.'

'The numbers match.'

'In the Bible Deborah was known as the mother of Israel, she was a judge and prophetess, people went to her for advise.'

'I'm sorry to say I think Zach's right, I think we're on to something, and I hate to say conspiracy theory…'

'Then don't. The next one is: I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: Romans 16:1,2'

'The number matches for Phoebe Conners.'

'Yeah but nothing else does, there was no Phoebe in the Bible, only a Phebe and she was a holy woman, a priestess, nothing like Phoebe Conners.'

'And the order's all wrong, it should be Deborah Kern, Hannah Sinclair, then Anna Swanstone. Phoebe should be last and according to this Hannah came first. This is all wrong.'

Zach's reply to Angela's quandary was immediate.

'No, the order's right. We might have found the remains in that order but that's not the order they died, according to Dr. Brennans report Hannah Sinclair died at least a month before Deborah Kern and as for Phoebe Conners, her remains were only in such good condition because she was found so soon after her death and we have to remember that Dr. Stires had been working on the case for a while before it came to us. Anna Swanstones remains were in a far worse condition because she'd been exposed to the elements. Dr. Brennans official conclusion is that Hannah Sinclair died first, followed by Deborah Kern then Phoebe Conners and finally Anna Swanstone.'

'Ok, so that explains the order thing but what about the fact that this quote is for a Phebe not a Phoebe and a religious one at that.'

Angela cut in before Zach could fumble and answer together.

'When you interviewed Phoebe's colleagues did they mention that she'd been seeing anyone?'

'No, but then they didn't mention much, they hardly seemed to know her. The only person who seemed to have had a proper conversation with the woman just told us she was a nice person, worked hard, kept herself to herself, you know, the usual stuff. The only remotely interesting thing she told us was that she didn't get on with her parents, said they were stuffy, overbearing…'

Booth trailed off.

'What is it?'

'Her parents, they're religious, according to Bones Phoebe didn't exactly share their views, said it was one of the things they fell out over.'

'There's your link then, what's the last one?'

Booth cleared his throat before reaching for the final sheet of fine Bible paper.

'And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:36,37'

Zach nodded in confirmation that the numbers matched and Booth went ahead with the biblical explanation.

'Anna was an old widow, he husband died early in their marriage and she'd devoted her life to God, pretty much living in the temple. She was there when Simeon came to the temple to give thanks for the prophetic birth of his son.'

'Well I'd say that was a pretty good match wouldn't you.'

'Its useless without more, we need to know how the victims were connected, and who killed them, connecting them to a bunch of Bible references doesn't help.'

'Of course it does, it gives us somewhere to start, religion. That's the link, they were all religious.'

Zach nodded.

'Angela's right, Judge Kern would have had to follow religion to a certain extent for her job, religion rules the law.'

'She was Catholic, she went with her husband and daughter to church every Sunday.'

'Ok, and didn't you say that when you went to interview Hannah Sinclairs foster mother she prayed.'

'Yeah and there was a cross above the fireplace.'

'Anna Swanstone was obviously religious and even if she didn't believe in it Phoebe Conners would have had a religious upbringing because of her parents.'

'Ok, ok, so religion is the connection, that's great but we need more that that.'

It was then Hodgins gave an almost howl of frustration and all but ran to his desk, causing the other to jump before they followed in slight concern. Hodgins dragged up a file on his computer and read the information presented to him.

'God, how could I have been so stupid!'

'What is it Hodgins?'

'Nitrocellulose and Toluene…the particles I found on Phoebe Conners clothes…'

'The nail varnish ingredients? We checked that out, it was a dead end.'

'No, that's just it, we did the one thing Brennan always tells us not to, we jumped to conclusions. We just assumed the Nitrocellulose and Toluene were from nail varnish because of the connection to Phoebe Conners and the cosmetics lab but that's not all those two chemicals are used in.'

'For crying out loud Hodgins, will you just get to the point.'

Booth was becoming increasingly agitated with the way the squints danced around what they were trying to say.

'Floor polish.'

'What?'

'Nitrocellulose and toluene are both ingredients in floor polish used to varnish wooden floors.'

Realisation dawned slowly.

'Varnished wooden floors? Like in a church?'

Hodgins nodded grimly but with a small sense of achievement.

'Exactly like in a church.'

Booth stood perfectly still for a few moments whilst he digested the turn of events and wondered what to do with it pertaining the disappearance of Rebecca and his partner. Angela on the other hand was having a brainwave and was suddenly moving around the platform in the same manner Hodgins had moments before.

'Angela?'

'Where's the evidence bag from the Anna Swanstone scene?'

Zach frowned.

'I've got it here, why?'

Angela crossed to Zach's desk and grabbed the bag and tipped the contents onto the surface in front of her, spotting what she'd been looking for and grabbing it.

'This is it.'

Booth frowned at what she was holding.

'Angela, it's a rosary, she was a nun. What does this have to do with finding the killer?'

'I think it might just have everything to do with finding the killer. Look at this, the irregular spacing of the beads….'

Zach suddenly got it, the other two still clueless.

'Of course, that would explain the fracture pattern on the hyoid.'

Angela nodded, her suspicions confirmed.

'Exactly. Booth, the murder weapon, this is it, well not this one but one like it. I think our victims were strangled with a rosary.'

Booth said nothing but dropped into the nearest chair closing his eyes.

'Booth…?'

'Quiet, I'm thinking.'

The other three fell silent as Booth let the evidence turn over in his mind, attempting to slot the pieces into a metaphorical jigsaw. Finally, as the seconds ticked by it happened, the final piece fell into place. Booth jumped up and turned away from the others, heading towards the door.

'Booth where are you going?'

'I know where they are.'

He turned and briefly explained his epiphany.

'Zach, I need you to go over the witness statements again, Hodgins call Cullen, tell him where I'm going, tell him I need back up but that they're to stay outside unless anything happens…'

'But I don't think Cullen likes…'

'I don't care if Cullen likes you or not right now, just call him. Angela, you've got the most important job. I need you to watch Toby, He's in Bones' office. Keep a good eye on him because if anything happens to that baby whilst I'm gone Bones and Cam'll kill me.'

Angela nodded.

'Just bring her back Booth.'

Booth simply nodded before turning on his heel and exiting the lab, hoping against hopes that the next time the three squints inside saw their friend it wouldn't be on an autopsy table.


	40. Palma non sine,,, No reward without,,,

**So here I am, back at last. Since I last posted this I've broken the usb stick that had all the work for this, including finished chapters so its taken a while to get all the case infor back together, hence the delay. Anyway I'm back now and this should be finished very soon, the next 3 parts are done so not much more to do :)**

**Disclaimer: I still dont own Bones**

* * *

**_Previously..._**

_...'Nitrocellulose and toluene are both ingredients in floor polish used to varnish wooden floors.'_

_'Varnished wooden floors? Like in a church?'..._

_#_

_...'I think our victims were strangled with a rosary.'..._

_#_

_...__Rebecca looked around, seemingly more confused that Brennan as to how she had ended up in the situation she was in._

'_What happened?'_

_Temperance opened her mouth to speak but a noise drew her eyes to the door of the small dim room they were in._

'_I'm not sure, but I think we're about to find out.'_

_The door opened, and suddenly it all made sense..._

* * *

**Chapter 40 **

**P****alma non sine pulvere - No reward without effort**

When asked later Booth would be unable to recall the car journey that followed his departure from the Jeffersonian. He drove with a grim determination, his goal in sight. He couldn't believe he'd been so blind, that none of them had seen…

He halted at the stoplight and his heart constricted at what could happen to Brennan and Rebecca if he didn't get there soon, if he was too late…maybe he was already too late…

* * *

The dark shape that filled the doorway was instantly recognisable but that didn't stop the sharp gasp of surprise that left Temperance's lips as the final piece of her puzzle slipped into place and she was faced with her captor.

'You! I knew it! I told Booth about you…I…I asked him about you. He said you were straight laced…boring…but that's the funny thing isn't it…its always the ones you least expect.'

Christian Elliot leered at her and raised an eyebrow as he stepped into the room, flicking a light switch before kicking the wooden door shut. The single light fitting swayed to and fro casting an eerie glow about the small room. Brennan took in her surroundings thanks to the new light source. The floor was tiled as she had suspected. The tiles were old and made of coloured unglazed tiles, the kind found in the hallways of some Victorian homes. The walls were constructed of rough grey stone and the room was larger than she had anticipated, roughly 8 feet by10.

Brennan's eyes fell on Rebecca who was huddled not far to her left. Her blond hair was matted and stained at the back with what Brennan knew was almost certainly blood from a blow to the head. Her eyes were watery and filled with unshed tears and fear. She was a shadow of the woman Temperance had observed just days earlier, glowing with pride as she shared the news of her pregnancy with Booth. Her eyes snapped to Christian as she heard him speak.

'I knew you'd figure it out eventually and then when that fool…'

Christian spat the word as if it were poison in his mouth.

'…when he figured it all out and decided to tip you off…well I couldn't have that now could I.'

'You self righteous son of a …'

'Now, now, language Dr. Brennan, remember we're in Gods house.'

That was when she finally put two and two together and realised where she was: the anteroom of St Augustine's Church.

* * *

Booth pulled the SUV to a half outside of the church and took three successive sharp breaths before feeling consciously for his gun and swinging from the car. It was gone three now and what had started as a relatively nice day was turning sour, with dark storm clouds gathering as Booth approached the church door. He pushed gently on the wood, not surprised when it opened to reveal the church empty…or at least almost empty.

Booth raced down the aisle towards the alter, not even bothering to cross himself as he rushed to the side of the figure slumped its base. Father Charles Elliot lay on his front, his once white robes stained a heavy shade of scarlet as blood pooled from a wound on his neck. The glazed look in his unblinking eyes was enough to tell Booth that the clergyman was beyond help. This time Booth did cross himself as he closed the priests eyes and gave a nod to the cross at the front of the church. There was nothing more anyone in this world could do for Father Elliot, it was to over God now.

Booth holstered his weapon, his senses on high alert, his professional side slipping into overdrive as he tried to hunt out his target and the hostages, all the time trying to forget that the 'hostages' were the mother of his son and his partner turned girlfriend.

* * *

Temperance Brennan knew she was going to die. A gut feeling, a premonition, call it what you will but she knew. Fate had finally caught up with her and her luck had run out. She had always feared her life would end like this, alone at the arms of a madman, unable to defend herself against the fatal attack that was sure to come or the ridicule her body would undergo after death. Yes, that's what she feared most, in all her time working alongside law enforcement she had seen enough post mortems and had done enough examinations on the dead herself to understand the lack of dignity involved. The dead hold many secret and if your death is suspicious then those secrets belong to the state, a life laid bare for all to see.

She had always hoped her own life would end naturally, many years from now but it seemed her wish was to be denied. She thought hard, trying to remember the last time she had called her father and brother, the last time she and Angela had spent time together just for the hell of it. She tried to think of the last time she had told her team she was proud of them…if she'd ever told them she was proud of them.

She squeezed her eyes tight shut. Booth's image swirled in her minds eye and her heart seized. The last few weeks had been tumultuous to say the least and her relationship with Booth had been anything but steady as of late. And now? Now she realised how ridiculous the whole thing had been. Her doubts over Booths feelings about Toby were nothing in the grand scheme of things and she'd do the whole thing all over again if it meant she could just spend one more night wrapped in the blanket of safety Booth was always willing to offer.

She opened her eyes and her forehead knitted together in a frown. This wasn't her, she didn't give up and she certainly wasn't one for wallowing in self pity. If she was going to die then she wasn't about to go down without a fight.

'I…I don't get this…'

Christian seemed bemused and in the corner Rebecca sniffed and looked up, her bloodshot eyes unblinking.

'There's nothing to 'get' Miss Brennan. It simply is.'

Brennan rolled her eyes, she'd had enough of this.

'Oh please, cut the crap. If you're going to kill me, which I suspect you are or why else would you be holding me against my will, then I'd at least like to know the truth. Ok, I get the who, you're the killer we've been after, I think I've figured it that far, what I don't get is the 'why'. Come to think of it I'm still a little hazy on the 'how' to be honest…'

'I think I know how but the 'why' is where he's got me too.'

Three pairs of eyes flicked to the door where the speaker now stood, gun drawn and aimed squarely in Christians direction. A flood of relief coursed through Brennan, maybe she could make it out of this after all.

'Booth!'

She couldn't help the weak smile that slipped across her lips. His eyes met hers, filled with loving concern that caused her heart to skip a beat.

'Are you ok?'

His eyes flicked from her to Christian and back again and she watched as he mapped her face, cataloguing her visible injuries.

'I think I'm ok.'

'And Rebecca?'

Rebecca opened her mouth to answer but she glanced at Christian and thought better of it, she wasn't in a position to be bold.

'So, you think you've gotten it all figured out do you…'

Christians voice was filled with every hint of malice imaginable.

'Turns out that you're not as clever as you think.'

'It has nothing to do with being clever Agent Booth.'

'No Christian, it has everything to do with being clever. Hodgins was clever enough recognise that the toluene and nitrocellulose found on the victims was residue from when you forced them to kneel on the varnished wooden floor. Zach was smart enough to figure out the religious connection. Angela had the insight to recognise the murder weapon…'

'What was the murder weapon, that one's really been annoying me.'

Booth almost smiled. Typical Brennan, a hostage situation and she's curious about a puzzle she couldn't solve.

'Rosary beads.'

'Of course, the irregular pattern…I should have seen that.'

'Shut up! You can all just shut up!'

'You want to calm down there Christian, its Gods house remember.'

Brennan's mocking was a step to far and Christian whipped round too quickly for her to move, his fist hitting her face with a sickening crack. The sticky feeling against her skin and the copper taste on her lips told her he'd almost certainly broken her nose. Booth moved like lightening, his fist raised, gun lowered but the flash in Brennan's eyes halted his movements. He understand, they couldn't end this yet, not until they knew why. He kept his gun trained on Christian and pushed concern for his partner aside.

'Come on the Christian, I know you're just dying to tell us how you did it, why you did it. I can see it already, you're proud of what you've done.'

'If you knew what I knew you'd be proud too.'

'Why? What do you know?'

Christian shrugged and Temperance observed him as she scrubbed blood from her face with her sleeve. He looked so you, so innocent. Positioned between his two hostages and Booth he looked out of place dressed as he was in a round neck t-shirt and an old pair of scuffed jeans, a scruffy jacket completed the ensemble. She almost felt sorry for him.

'I know what I did was right, that its what God wanted.'

'You what?

Another shrug.

'They were bad women, there were lessons to be learnt, its what He wanted.'

* * *

**There we go, so what did you think, was it worht me finishing this? Coming next: Christian reveals his motivation for killing.**

* * *


	41. Reductio ad,,,Leading back to to,,,

**Hi all, glad your sticking with me to see how this ends, just 5 more parts so not too long now. As for this part, much the same as with my other case-based fics this summing up chapter is pretty wordy but stick with it, I've tried my best to explain my conclusion. It would seem though that my apparently 'good Catholic education' may have ruined me forever lol :) Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 41 **

**Reductio ad absurdum - Leading back to the absurd**

'_They were bad women, there were lessons to be learnt, its what He wanted.__'_

Brennan was the first to answer, the first to recover.

'What! How where they bad? Deborah was a hard working member of society, a mother. Anna was a nun. Hannah was trying to make her life better. Phoebe…Phoebe was trying to put the past behind her. What the hell did they ever do to you?'

Booth stared at her, tried to warn her with his eyes that angering a murderous psychopath probably wasn't a good idea.

'They offended God. Their soul needed purifying for the lord.'

'Why? Come on Christian. I think its time you told us why.'

Booths voice was intended to be level, calming but instead it seemed to incense Christian as he stalked to the end of the small room and fumbled beneath his jacket. When he turned back to them a look of frustration was stretched across his face and one shaking hand now held a gun. Brennan's eyes widened, Rebecca scooted closer to her, Booth didn't move, not even a blink.

'Christian…put down the gun.'

'NO! Stop it! Stop telling me what to do! That's all they ever did, all they ever do. I only obey him. They never listened, never…never…'

'Okay Christian, we're listening, who are 'they'?'

A wave of nausea coursed through Brennan and she suspected concussion may be to blame. She took a calming breath and forced herself to concentrate.

'The clergy….Father Elliot…the others….they never listened, not really, they said they did but all they ever did was talk and preach and try to get what they wanted. They're just the same as everyone else. They say its all in His name but it isn't…its for them, its all for them.'

Christian paced, the gun swinging to and fro in his left hand.

'I was helping them, I was saving them. Those girls, those women…they needed me. I saved them.'

He took a breath and no one spoke.

'Before the accident…before I came here I didn't know God. My parents were sinners. They drank, they gambled and they sought comfort in every vice they could find. Back when I was Justin my soul was unclean. Then they had the accident and everything changed. I came here and I was reborn, became the Good Lords loyal servant.'

'And what exactly does that have to do with murdering four innocent women?'

Again Booth mentally wished that for once his partner would just be quiet.

'I was sent here for a reason, as part of Gods divine plan. He spared my life in the crash that killed my parents and as a ward of the church I have waited for the best part of almost thirteen years to find a way to repay him. Then I met Hannah and over time I came to realise, this was my calling, she was my mission, her and other women like her. It was my vocation in life to fix these women.'

'How is murdering them and dumping their remains 'fixing' them?'

'Bones!'

Booth scowled at his partner and turned his attention back to Christian.

'Tell us about Hannah. Her foster mother brought her to church, is that how you met her?'

He nodded.

'She stayed behind one day after the service, we got talking. She seemed friendly enough. Then she got pregnant…'

'You didn't approve.'

Brennan's voice was calm again despite the situation.

'Of course I didn't, but that's not why…God would have forgiven her that. The child was an innocent, the church always welcomes new life even if the circumstances are less than desirable. No, the child wasn't the problem, neither was she to start with, she even bought the child here, had him baptised. She named him Samuel, said that she was going to bring him up knowing God.'

'In the Bible Samuel's mother was named Hannah.'

Christian nodded curtly at Booths biblical knowledge.

'A thought that occurred to me at the time. You see, even then God was carving a path for the child…then she ruined it.'

'Hannah gave him up.'

Another nod.

'She moved away but she still came back here for church every now and again. When she stopped bringing Sam I asked why and she told me. She said she couldn't cope, couldn't provide for him. She knew the family he'd gone to, they let her visit. She seemed happy with the solution but…but…'

'But you weren't.'

'It was wrong, she'd abandoned the child, given him away like a piece of clothing she no longer cared for. He was a gift from God and she'd just given him away, and then, to make matters worse she still visited him! I mean how could she be so selfish. I was furious, I could no longer stand the sight of her. Whenever she came to church I refused to see her until…until I realised that I shouldn't be ignoring her. If I abandoned her I was no better than she was. It came to me in prayer. I knew what I had to do.'

'You killed her! Because she tried to do the best for her son?'

The bitterness was back in Brennan's voice and Booth didn't even bother with the warning glance, he happened to agree with her. Beside her Rebecca listened in silence, still in the dark over the crimes her captor had committed, knowing nothing of the case.

'The next time she came to church it was late, I agreed to talk to her. She was trusting. It was easy.'

He made it sound like her was talking about an everyday event rather than the taking of a life.

'It was exactly like you said, I used the rosary. It was late, we were alone in the main hall. I told her to kneel, told her to pray for the forgiveness of the Lord. Then I placed the rosary around her neck and pulled hard. She didn't struggle for long. She knew there was nothing left to live for.'

For a few moments no one moved, no one spoke as the terrible details of the last moments of Hannah Sinclairs life were laid bare for them all to see.

'Then what?'

'I hid her in a storage cupboard, no one goes back there but me anyway. Then when I'd decided the time was right I sent her to the FBI.'

'But not before you'd carved a number in her skull.'

'The world needed to know, needed to learn from her mistakes.'

Brennan shook her head finally getting it. It was Booth she posed her question to.

'The numbers, they were Bible references weren't they?'

Booth nodded and Christian elaborated.

'For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 27:28. Hence Hannah, 12728. It seemed fitting.'

'You sick bastard.'

Christian delivered a swift kick to Brennan's shins for her outburst and Booth's hand tightened on his gun, his finger twitching on the trigger. Rebecca's hand reached out to comfort Temperance who managed a wobbly smile as another wave of nausea hit.

'That's not what happened…'

Booths voice was firm and steady despite his inner turmoil. He just wanted to get out of there. Both Rebecca and Temperance both needed medical attention and he isn't in the mood to hear Christians purist ramblings. The gun in Christians hand prevented them leaving however. One wrong move and things could be over in seconds, and not in a good way.

'Excuse me?'

'Before you disposed of Hannah Sinclair's remains you killed Deborah Kern.'

Christian gave the impression that he was thinking but Booth suspected he was simply pausing for dramatic effect and hated the kid even more.

'Ah yes, Judge Kern. I'm afraid to say her demise was rather more personal. A case over which she presided was brought to my attention by another member of the choir. She sent a priest to prison.'

Booth was quick with his reply.

'I've reviewed notes on the last twenty cases she oversaw. That priest was imprisoned for molesting an alter boy. A jury found him guilty and she sentenced him to a minimum of ten years. She was just doing her job.'

'She had no right! It was a matter for the church and should have been dealt with as such. She had to go. She came here every Sunday with her husband and her children. It wasn't difficult to get her on her own. Then it got complicated.'

Brennan felt up to talking again but gripped Rebecca's hand as tightly as before.

'Complicated because unlike Hannah she was missed wasn't she. You took her as she was leaving work, you forgot she had a family that would miss her.'

'Hannah didn't have anyone, Judge Kern did. When I killed her I put her with Hannah but the day after…only the day after…it was all over the news. I panicked.'

'So you gave her a number and dumped the remains.'

'And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Judges 4:5,14.'

'If she had no right to judge a priest, what gave you the right to judge her?'

'God judges us all Dr. Brennan.'

'What about the others, Phoebe and Anna. Why them?'

'Anna was going to leave the church. She said she was in love. She forgot she was already married to God. I couldn't let her abandon the lord like that.'

'I don't get it, you had an alibi for the Swanstone murder, you were serving at a wedding.'

'I think you'll find Dr Brennan, that its remarkably easy to get an alter boy to lie for you.'

'And Phoebe?'

He smiled baring a set of perfectly straight teeth and turned to Brennan, holding the gun erect in hers and Rebecca's direction.

'Why Dr. Brennan, Phoebe's dead because of you.'

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuh...lol So, what did you think? Coming up: Booth is put in an impossible situation as things reach their climax**


	42. Servo permaneo,,, Save the last,,,

**Hi, you've all been so great at reviewing and I've loved hearing from you. Here's the next part, hope you enjoy. Personally I'm not too happy with this chapter, it probably would have been better as two seperate chapters but there's just too much I want to fit in before the end and I've already written the next few parts so unfortunately i had to make a choice and this is the chapter thats suffered. Still overall I thinks its ok and i cant wait to hear what you think good or bad :) I should have more up either tomorrow or the next day :)**

**A.N: As a side note this is possibly my favourite latin title for the whole fic, and possibly the most appropriate too**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 42**

**Servo permaneo bovis provestri - Save the last bullet for yourself**

'_Why Dr. Brennan, Phoebe__'__s dead because of you.__'_

Bursts of pain flared behind her eyes and she once more resisted the urge to vomit as she forced herself to concentrate on what Christian was saying.

'When Phoebe returned to D.C she also returned to the church, she sought comfort in God, began to trust in her faith again. Unfortunately for her she wasn't worthy to be a messenger of the Lord. She made a confessional to Father Elliot about her dalliance with a close friend of yours, Dr Stires many years ago. Father Elliot broke the confessional and told me. I decided she had to pay for her sins and adultery on any level is one of the greatest sins of them all.'

Tears tracked Brennan's face without her even noticing it. How could one stupid night, one stupid mistake, lead to this?

'What about Father Elliot?'

Brennan, who was unaware of the priests demise looked up in surprise at Booths question.

'He realised what I'd done and passed on his message to that dumb priest at the hospital for Dr. Brennan. He would have ruined everything. Tonight when he confronted me…it was unfortunate but these things happen...'

That was the final straw, Booth had had enough.

'Its over Christian, put the gun down and back up against the wall.'

Then Christian did the last thing any of them expected…he laughed.

'I don't think you understand Agent Booth. I'm not done yet, I have more to say, God isn't done with me yet.'

He turned to face Temperance and Rebecca before swiftly stepping behind them placing them between Booth and himself.

'I have one final message for the world Agent Booth and the good news is, you get to choose which message it is, it must be your lucky day.'

'My…my…'

Booths gun wavered slightly as Christian raised his, flicking the latch on the safety.

'You see Agent, when you visited me the other week I began to look into your background and I started to think that maybe I shouldn't be limiting my retribution to women, after all, you haven't exactly lead a very devout life have you?'

'Where's this…I mean…'

'Then I dug deeper and realised that perhaps discovering your misdemeanours was merely a sign from the Lord, a pathway towards my true goal, these woman, the two women who you've formed the deepest attachment to. Miss Rebecca here is the mother of your child, your first love, the woman who once many years ago you thought of marrying and Miss Temperance is your partner in everything you do, despite your differences you remain close and, apparently…in love.'

The tone of Christians voice turned Booths stomach.

'Let them go.'

'I cant do that, you see no matter how much you care for them, these are both bad women. They've wronged God.'

'Just let them go.'

Christian continued as if Booth hadn't spoken.

'Rebecca. In the Bible Rebecca was a great woman, the loyal wife of Isaac, the mother of Jacob and Esau. Sure, she had her weaknesses. She favoured her weaker son Jacob over Esau. Her favouritism was wrong but at the heart of it was good, she did the best for her children. This Rebecca however, your Rebecca isn't a great woman. First she sinned by having a child out of wedlock and then she angers the Lord more by keeping her son from his father.'

'I…she lets me see him.'

'But you argue over you poor sons well-being. How is that conductive for a good atmosphere in which to raise a child? It isn't. I understand Agent, you tried to do the right thing, you asked her to marry you and she said no, its her sin to carry not yours so now she must pay.'

'Christian…please…'

Again he continued as if Booth hadn't spoken. Brennan tensed, waiting for the reason she was in her current predicament. She was struggling to keep her eyes open, her head throbbing from when she suspected Christian had struck her earlier in her apartment. She could hear movement outside the church and prayed the cavalry had arrived in the form of Booths requested backup officers. Not that it mattered, any outcome today would be decided by the four people in that one small room.

'Dr Brennan, Temperance. Her name suggests restraint but never have I encountered a more outspoken women. She angers God in more ways than I can count. For a start she doesn't even believe in God…'

'If this is what happens when you do believe in God how is anyone surprised I don't?'

That comment earned Brennan a swift smack to the side of the head with the butt of Christian's gun. Booth winced, finger once more toying with the trigger of his own weapon.

'So you see they both have their sins and for that they must pay. I'm not stupid, I know that once this is over you're either going to shoot me or arrest me, maybe both, but before that you have a decision to make. One of these women has to die.'

Brennan held her breath as Rebecca sobbed beside her.

'Its up to you to decide which one.'

'What?'

'I'm giving you a chance to save one of them. You get to choose which one of them gets to live. You have five minutes Agent Booth. Time to decide.'

'What! You cant expect…I cant…I…'

'Come on Agent, tick, tock, tick, tock.'

'I cant, I cant choose.'

'Then they'll both die. Four minutes left Agent Booth. Make a choice.'

'I…I…'

Rebecca's sobs had escalated, her tearful cries echoing in the small room, and tears ran freely once more down Brennan's face, the salty liquid pooling in her split lip causing the wound to sting. Everywhere ached. Her arms and legs were sore from being bound, the blood from her broken nose had dried on her face and the front of her shirt, her split lip was bruised and hurt when she talked and her head pounded with every heartbeat. She closed her eyes for a second and breathed deeply, only Rebecca's cries and Booths heavy breathing reaching her consciousness.

'I…I cant choose. I wont do it.'

'Three minutes.'

Brennan thoughts came in short blasts, memories flashing, good and bad, like broken film.

_A family picnic, she's seven, her parents leaving, her first anthropology class…_

'I cant do this, how can you expect me to do this…'

…_Kissing Michael, sleeping with Michael, Michael and Phoebe, Phoebe on a morgue table, Phoebe in the Jeffersonian, her team in the Jeffersonian…_

'You cant do this, you cant…'

'Time's ticking Agent Booth.'

…_Booth in the Jeffersonian, Booth in her office, Booth at the diner, Booth in her bed…_

'Tick, tock. Tick tock.'

'Don't make me do this, come on, we can fix this…'

'Only you can fix this. Choose.'

'I cant do it God damn you!'

_Booth now, Booth and Rebecca, Booth and Parker…Parker… Parker… _

'You don't seem to understand the situation. There is no other choice, you have to choose.'

_Parker. _Suddenly things had never seemed clearer.

'Booth! Look at me, Booth!.'

Brennan's voice cut through the Booths fog of indecision and his eyes snapped to hers.

'Choose Rebecca.'

'What?'

'Time's running out Agent Booth, two minutes and they both die.'

'Come on Booth, choose Rebecca, save Rebecca.'

Dizziness hit once more causing Brennan to sway slightly on the spot.

'I…Temperance…I…'

'Tick, tock. Tick tock.'

'Do the right thing, you know this is the right thing. She's pregnant, think of her baby. Think of Parker. Christian's right, there is no choice. Save Rebecca.'

Rebecca's sobs grew even louder and Booth indecision grew more incoherent.

'I cant…you can't ask…I wont…Tempe…Bones…'

'Just say it Booth, just say her name.'

She urged him with desperation, her voice thick with tears as her vision blurred, tiny bursts of light dancing behind her eyes.

'Come on Agent Booth.'

'I…I…'

'Don't think about me. Its what I want, just say her name, say Rebecca, save Rebecca. Do it for Parker, do it for me. Come on Booth, make the call.'

She'd known she was going to die the minute she'd woken up in that room, she was resided to it but Rebecca…Rebecca had so much to live for, and Booth...she knew he would never be able to look at his son again with Rebecca's death on his conscience.

'One minute.'

'Don't make me do this, please don't make me do this…'

Brennan felt unconsciousness tug at her once more and she pulled together what remaining logical, ordered thought she had and, unfortunately not for the first time in her life, she wished that Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan had never met, much less fallen in love. Things would be so much simpler without love.

'For once in your life Booth think with your head not your heart, say her name, save her Booth, save her…I'm begging you, say it Booth, say her name.'

'I wont, I wont do that. Christian please…'

'Booth, come on!'

'I cant…I love you…I cant.'

'Time's up Agent Booth, have you decided?'

Brennan knew his answer and wasn't willing to let him do this. She made one last attempt and spoke for him.

'I've decided, I've chosen, let her go, please just let her go. You've got me, just let her go.'

'Its not your decision to make Dr. Brennan. Now choose Agent Booth or they both die.'

'I…I cant choose…I cant…there must be another choice…there must be…'

Christian raised the gun and Brennan felt Rebecca freeze beside her, her sobs silent and involuntary now as one free hand gripped Brennan's own, the other slipping around her pregnant stomach.

'Its over Agent Booth, times up. Now they both die.'

If it was physically possible Brennan would have said that at that moment Booths own sobs broke her heart clean in two as he hovered in a state of agony, not knowing what to do or say.

'No… no please…there has to be…'

'There is no other choice Agent Booth, its over. Amen.'

'There's always another choice.'

Temperance squeezed her eyes shut as barrel of Christian's gun nestled itself in her hair. His finger tightened at the trigger and there, on that peaceful summers afternoon, in a quiet suburb of DC, gunshots rang out through the church and time stood still.

* * *

One second...

Two seconds...

Three seconds...

Bullets ricocheted off the walls in the tiny anteroom and gunshot residue drifted in the air. A blinding pain ripped through Brennan and then…and then for a split second there was nothing, no pain, no crying, no hurt, just nothing.

Then the moment passed and the fog covering her mind cleared a little to reveal Booth hovering over her.

'Come on Bones, stay with me, you're going to be fine, I promise, I promise.'

He was crying but he tried to smile for her sake. Through blurred vision she saw Christian's lifeless body beside her, a single gunshot wound marring his forehead.

'You shot him?'

She could hear Rebecca's sniffles as she too came into sight, apparently fine.

'I had to.'

She smiled weakly.

'I'm glad you did.'

They shared another watery smile at the running joke as he pulled her closer to him. She winced as pain ripped through her shoulder and realised only then she had been shot.

Booth must have seen her confusion.

'He saw me coming, tried to shoot you, luckily I'm quicker. Its not pretty but I think you'll be ok.'

He kissed her forehead.

'Its over Bones, its over.'

Brennan nodded softly, one more precious thought entering her mind before exhaustion finally won out as EMT's and police burst into the small room.

'I love you Booth, I love you.'

* * *

It was sixteen hours later when Brennan finally left the hospital. She'd been lucky this time, her shoulder had required nothing more than stitches although it would probably hurt like hell for months and her face wasn't as beat up as she'd expected. Never the less she'd been forced to turn down the invitation of staying in overnight for observation when she was informed by a pimple-faced junior doctor on the ER night shift that she did indeed have concussion.

Booth had urged her to stay, to be on the safe side but, after the month she'd had, all she really wanted was a couple of sleeping pillsl, a large glass of something significantly stronger than water and her bed, no matter how ill advised that might be.

'Are you sure you don't want me to stay.'

'No, really I'll be fine. I need you to call Angela and check on Toby for me and Cullen wants to see you anyway.'

Somehow in the sixteen hours between entering the church and leaving the hospital morning had come round again and the rest of the world was seemingly oblivious to the ordeal the night had delivered the pair.

'It can wait if it needs to.'

'Booth, really, I'll be fine and you'd be better seeing him sooner rather than later. You still have to sign off on the shooting. Go on, I…I kind of need to be alone for a little while anyway.'

He looked at her and understood. It was finally kicking in that she'd nearly died and she needed space to deal with that. He could give her that. He placed a kiss on her forehead and stepped back from her doorway.

'I'll call in a few hours 'kay?'

'Okay, and Booth?'

'Yeah?'

'Love you.'

'Love you too.'

He grinned turning away and stalking down her hallway. The past twenty four hours had been hard for him too, she knew that and she knew that at some point they would have to talk about what happened in that room. But that was for another day. She closed her door and closed her eyes momentarily, revelling in the privacy of her apartment.

Her body screamed for sleep but knew that that was probably the concussion talking and knew better than to listen. For now she would have to be content with simply being alone with her thoughts. She sighed in exhaustion and leaned heavily on the back of her door, slipping slowly down it to rest on her door mat. She sighed again, her eyes flicking down to the mat, casually perusing her junk mail, doing a cursory examination of the bills and finally coming to rest on a small lilac envelope…

* * *

**So, there you go, its bye-bye Christian. How many of you had forgotton all about that curious lilac envelope mentioned all the was back in chapter 37? Oooh I wonder what it could be lol There are at least 2 more big twists left in this tale and with just 5 chapters left its sure to be a bumpy ride, why dont you review and let me know if you'll be tagging along for the trip :)**


	43. Requiescat in ,,, Let him rest,,,

**Hi, me again. A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, it was lovely to hear what you all thought, good and bad. This chapter focuses on the summing up of Brennan's relationship with Phoebe and concludes with the contents of a certain lilac envelope...enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

_**Previously…**_

…_Its perfectly plausible that Stan wouldn't have notice the out of state post mark or the absence of the title 'doctor' from the recipients name. After all Stan was a postal worker, he wasn't perfect and the chances are that even if he had noticed all those things he never in a million years would have realised that had that letter arrived just a few weeks earlier it could have quite possibly saved a life…_

…_Temperance sighed in exhaustion and leaned heavily on the back of her door, slipping slowly down it to rest on her door mat. She sighed again, her eyes flicking down to the mat, casually perusing her junk mail, doing a cursory examination of the bills and finally coming to rest on a small lilac envelope__…_

**Chapter 43 **

**Requiescat in pace (R.I.P) - Let him rest in peace**

_One week later…_

The churchyard was a sombre hive of activity as relatives, friends and colleagues alike gathered to pay their last respects to Phoebe Conners. The final service itself was almost over and the observant side of Brennan's brain noted that it was probably a good thing since the clouds overhead had darkened considerably in the last half an hour.

She and Booth were seated at the back of an arrangement of folding chairs. Their seats were uncomfortable and many of the people in attendance were now at the point where they simply wanted to go home, back to their lives and away from the graveside of a girl they once knew.

Temperance spotted several people she knew, either professionally or through the case and at the front of the group sat a man and woman she knew to be Phoebe's parents, the parents that didn't understand her, that didn't know she was depressed, that didn't know she'd sought out religion rather than reaching out to them…She wanted to speak to them but knew she'd never know what to say.

Michael wasn't there. Temperance had seen him at the church earlier that day and they had exchanged polite nods but her hadn't followed the congregation to the graveside. She suspected that, like herself, he was battling demons related to Phoebe that had nothing to do with her death but rather one definitive night ten years ago in a history the three of them shared. A night which would forever alter the path the three of them took and ultimately separate them forever. What she wouldn't give to go back to that night, to not use her key, to not find them in the bed entwined in a lovers embrace, to not have cut Phoebe out of her life…

She shook ghosts from her mind as Booth gave her arm a gentle squeeze and she turned to see a soft understanding look in his eyes.

'Its ok to cry you know.'

She shook her head. She had wondered when he'd notice her cheeks were as dry as the bones she'd insisted on working on until right until they had to leave for the church.

'No it isn't, I haven't earned the right to cry'

'Bones you cant think like that. Phoebe wouldn't want you to beat yourself up. Her death was not your fault…in fact if I'm honest I don't think this is about her being dead at all…'

His intuition was halted as they watched Phoebe's parents both shuffle forward, her mother in floods of tears as they each place a single yellow rose on the coffin. Brennan shook her head at their misinformed choice.

'This isn't the time Booth.'

She tried to shush him but he was relentless and continued in a hushed tone.

'This is the perfect time. I think this is about one stupid night ten years ago. I think this is about you not letting go, about Michael betraying you, about Phoebe never saying sorry…'

'She did say sorry.'

Her voice was tight but still the tears did not come.

'What? But you said…'

'This came…a week ago…when I was…when I was missing.'

He took one hand in a gesture of comfort as she dug in her pocket with the other. She handed him the envelope without speaking and he took the creased lilac item from her hands without commenting. He opened it and tugged the contents free of their confines, holding the page with one hand as his partner maintained her grip on the other, her eyes staring straight ahead as more mourners came forward to pay their respects. Booth read in silence and with discretion.

**Dearest Temperance, **

**I feel like a fraud addressing you as ****'****dearest****'****, I probably have no right, but I feel as though after all we have shared, both good and bad, addressing you as Dr. Brennan is simply too impersonal. **

**I want you to know that I have tried to write this letter what seems like a hundred times over the past ten years and each time it has seemed both inadequate and impassive but finally I feel as though its now or never and the opportune moment has arisen to contact you. **

**I****'****m not sure where to start so I will begin by simply saying that I am proud of you. I am sure that if you have had any sense you will thought of me rarely over the past decade but I want you to know that I have thought of you often and followed your progress as you****'****ve risen through the ranks of your profession. **

**I always believed you****'****d achieve your goal of becoming a forensic anthropologist and now not only have you done that but you****'****re at the top of your field. I****'****m also a big fan of your books and cant help but give a secret smile when I hear my colleagues gushing over Kathy****'****s latest exploits. **

**I suppose I should get to the point and explain the main reason I have written to you after all this time. I have currently accepted at Halliway Cosmetics Lab right just outside of DC and with the knowledge that both you and Michael are currently working in the city I feel its only right that things are set right between us, however difficult that may be. **

**It is of course possible that as I have said you haven****'****t thought of me once since we were last together and that what I did has had little baring on your life. However my actions have deeply affected my life and I believe I will never forget the look on your face that fateful day at Michaels apartment.**

**I will never be able to explain my actions that day. My only defence is that I was lonely that day and Michael was there, you were in no way a factor, in fact my only real failing that day is that I was such a poor friend that I didn****'****t think of you once as I bedded your boyfriend. I can never be more sorry for anything than I am for the pain I may have caused you and the subsequent breakdown of our friendship. **

**I want you to know that there has never been anyone else in my life who even came close to forging the bond we shared and the adventures of ****'****Tempe and Phebe****'**** have never been repeated. I also want you to know that I am fully aware that any hardship I have suffered was brought on by myself and myself alone.**

**All this is leading up to me asking for your forgiveness, something which I am almost sure I have no right to ask for and yet desperately covet. I am truly sorry and wish more than anything to rekindle our friendship, or at the very least be cordial to each other. **

**I feel its important to tell you that I have no intention of contacting Michael. If I meet him through a mutual friend or through our work then I am sure we are adult enough to maintain civility but regardless of my wishes I am sure he would not be enthusiastic to see me anyway. After your departure that night it was clear he blamed me. **

**I****'****m babbling again and run the risk of this becoming failed draft no. 101 so I will bid you farewell. I hope most reverently that this letter finds you in good health and that you can find it in your heart to forgive me enough to call me, meet me for coffee and begin to heal the wounds created all that time ago. If you cannot come to forgive me I understand and will always hold a good opinion of you regardless. I hope the future brings you all the past failed to deliver. Be happy Temperance.**

**Your ever steadfast friend,**

**Phoebe**

**-x-**

'Bones…'

'Look at the date.'

He did and closed his eyes as he shook his head slightly at the tragic irony of it all. Brennan's voice made him open his eyes again, her own line of sight still focussed forward.

'It must have been delayed in the post, that's over a month ago. Hannah Sinclair and Deborah Kern were already dead. Phoebe was next and she didn't even know it. She did know that she'd be brutally murdered by someone she thought she could trust, could confide in. She didn't know her body would be abandoned at the side of the road, that she'd spend three days at Michaels lab before I knew she was dead, that she'd spend weeks in a cooler at the Jeffersonian before her family were ready to bury her. It isn't right Booth…none of this is right. And now the bastard that did this to her wont even stand trial.'

'I…'

'Don't even say it Booth, I know, you had to shoot him and not a day will go by when I'm not glad you did. You saved my life. Maybe if that letter had come sooner or, or if I'd just called…maybe I could have saved Phoebe. Maybe if I'd just asked her out for coffee then she wouldn't have gone to church that day…'

'You'll never know and to think about it will drive you crazy. Christian was one sick individual Bones, nothing he did is your fault.'

The crowd thinned slowly until only Booth and Brennan were left. Funeral attendants loitered at the edge of the cemetery waiting for people to leave so they could get on with their job but Brennan was in no hurry. She stepped forward, dropping Booths hand as the afternoon breeze filtered through her hair. She ran a hand over the sleek rosewood casket containing the remains of a woman who once knew her better than anyone.

'Its weird, I probably learnt more about her after she died than I did when she was alive.'

Booth looked up from his spot three feet behind her.

'I don't think that's true.'

'And what is it exactly that leads you to that conclusion?'

'Because you knew enough about her life to honour her death. You're grieving, that's how I know. You found her killer Bones, you gave her her identity back. Remember that, because you might not have been there for the last ten years but you were when it mattered, you were there when it mattered.'

She swallowed thickly and raised a hand to lay her own cluster of flowers on the casket, a posy of simple purple hyacinths.

'Odd choice of flowers Bones.'

'They were her favourite, she hated how commercial some flowers were. She would have hated the roses her parents left for example…'

Booth thought how sad it was that Mr and Mrs Conners seemed to know so little about their only daughter.

'She said flowers were part of nature, that they shouldn't be bought and sold for monetary reasons or personal gain. Purple was her favourite colour, that's why…'

She faltered, still not crying but forced to take a bigger gulp of air that usual.

'…I think that's probably why the envelope is purple.'

Booth didn't comment, just let her have her moment as she stepped closer to the coffin, her voice so low that Booth had to strain to hear her whispered words of anguish as she ran a hand over the name plate.

'I am so sorry Phebe'…its me who should be sorry, not you…I am so sorry…so very sorry…I forgive you Phoebe…God I forgive you a million times over…if I…if I could…'

Tears poured readily now, streaming down her face to drip to the damp earth beneath her feet.

'…if I could change one thing…just one thing…I'd call you…I tell you I forgive you…that I'm…that I'm sorry for everything that happened…that I don't blame you…how could I ever blame you, I love you…you were my best friend Phoebe…surely you knew that…surely you knew…I'm sorry Phoebe, I'm so sorry…sorry…so sorry…I'm so…'

Grief rose in waves and she was silenced by sobs as she slid to the ground beside the coffin. She drew her knees to her chest and cried for the first time in days for the friend she'd never see again. Booth was at her side in an instant, his strong arms encircling her as he whispered words of comfort.

'I forgive her Booth…I need her to know I forgive her.'

'She knew Bones, trust me, she knew.'

She didn't reply as grief once more took hold and stopped any efforts to speak. It had been just over a week since the events in the church and physical and mental wounds were still healing. Her cheek now shone a less than attractive shade of yellow and she was still waking twice nightly with images of Phoebe alone and scared still burning her eyes.

Some wounds never heal. What happened in that small damp room with Christian would stay with her forever, just as the pain Cam caused little over a year ago and the image of her best friend in bed with Michael over a decade ago would probably never leave her but it was over. Christian was dead, Phoebe was dead and Toby would soon be back with his mother. All she had left was the man beside her and the promise that tomorrow was a new day and the sun would rise regardless of the darkness and unrest she currently felt inside...


	44. Iuventuti ,,, To the young,,,

**Hi everyone, ok I'm a terrible author for leaving this so long yet again but unfortunately writers block and tonsillitis has delayed me. As a reward this parts a bit longer than the others and after this there's only two parts left (I know, it seems like it will never end lol) However its taken like a year already so I figure a week or so more wont hurt right :) as always, reviews mean smiles :)**

**Disclaimer: I still dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 44**

**Iuventuti nil arduum - To the young nothing is difficult**

_2 weeks later_

Anyone peeping through the letterbox of apartment 2b that evening would be forgiven entirely for thinking the seven people gathered inside were family because, in some ways, they were. They say time heals all wounds and in the case of that bunch of misfits this certainly seemed to be the case... or at least they hoped it was.

It had been two weeks since Phoebe's funeral and three weeks since Cam's operation and it was finally almost time for Toby to return to his mother. It was in honour of this event, and perhaps to simply to enjoy each others company, that this 'family that wasn't' had gathered in Temperance Brennan's living room.

Six pairs of eyes peered down at the baby as he wriggled on the mat and they commented on the differences in the infant.

'Well he's definitely bigger.'

They all nodded in agreement at Zach's blunt statement, the baby certainly was bigger. As was the way with children he'd grown quickly and Brennan couldn't help but feel sorry for Cam who had missed this important stage in the physical development of her son. Her only consolation was that despite having missed almost two months of his life, Toby was still only four months old, there would be plenty of other moments Cam wouldn't miss, plenty on other memories she could claim as her own.

'He's better at playing now.'

The group smiled fondly at Parker and Booth ruffled his hair. The younger Booth had insisted on being included on Toby's final night and on the whole seemed to have become quite attached to him.

'We will see him again right dad?'

'Sure we will.'

It had been revealed the morning before that Cams reapplication for her old job had been accepted and in three short weeks she would once again be working beside them. It wouldn't be easy, they all knew that, and Angela had protested copiously at the news, like Booth not understanding how Brennan could forgive Cam's deception almost eight months earlier. Hodgins acted disgruntled for the sake of his wife but Brennan got the distinct impression that in reality he didn't really care who got the job as long as it didn't affect him. Zach took the news in his stride, stating simply that 'of course Dr. Saroyan had been given the position. Logically she was the best for the job'.

Temperance for her part had smiled softly when she'd heard the news but said nothing and Booth had been non-committal but supportive and had congratulated Cam sincerely. There'd been enough fighting, enough arguing and enough regret to last them all a lifetime. It was time to start again, a fresh start.

Whilst none of them could promise Parker that Toby would be a constant presence in his life it was inevitable that the baby would be around, whether that be in the physical sense of being in the lab or simply as a mention in Cams frequent and obvious gushes of adoration for her son, and whilst the squints were not yet in agreement of the necessity of having Cam in their lab they were united on one front: whatever happened those many months ago it was not Toby's fault, the baby was not to blame.

'Well the lab'll certainly be quieter without him.'

'You can say that again.'

Hodgins' sentiment was echoed by the whole group. The lab had been noisier as of late and, in some ways, livelier. The baby had undoubtedly had both a positive and negative effect on the effectiveness of the forensic team.

'We might get a bit more work done without him.'

Again the group nodded but the words sounded hollow a they slipped from Brennan's lips.

'Aww Bones just think of it, no more trips to see the lovely Alice at day-care.'

Hodgins and Angela both stifled a giggle as Brennan delivered a swift blow to Booths ribs with her elbow.

'I think we've spent enough time with that particular day-care worker and her oh-so-tiny T-shirt to last a lifetime.'

Booth chuckled and turned to Hodgins, Zach and Angela.

'You should have seen them the other day, I honestly thought they were going to kill each other. Either Bones was going to jump of Alice for being snippy cos' she was late picking Toby up or Alice was going to whack Bones with a toy for insinuating she knew nothing about childcare.'

'Hmph I was five minutes late and it's the museum's day-care centre for crying out loud, they should know people might be late. And besides, I'm not entirely sure she did know anything about childcare. I'm willing to bet she was a kid herself not five years ago.'

Booth pulled his partner to his side and smiled.

'Aww Bones, I love it when you get all jealous and defensive.'

She tried to frown but couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.

'Do you think he'll miss us.'

Attention was brought back to the baby as Parker knelt down beside the smaller boy.

'Course he will Parker, I'm sure he'll miss you most of all.'

'I'll miss him too, he was good practice.'

Parker had well and truly thrown himself into the role of 'big brother' with Toby in preparation for the impending birth of Rebecca's second child. Parker was desperate for a brother and no one had quite had the heart yet to tell him that Rebecca already knew she was having a girl.

'Maybe when he's a bit bigger his mommy can have another baby and then he can be a brother too.'

'Maybe Parks, maybe.'

Brennan smiled wistfully as she was once more reminded of how simple things sounded when they were uttered by a five year old. Not one of the group suspected Cam would ever have another child. Toby had been an accident, the result of a union with a man who's name they still did not know, no one was even sure if she knew herself. Factoring in the likely event that having another child would probably trigger another attack of osteomyelitis, that Cam had never intended to have a child in the first place and that there was currently no prospective life partner on the horizon there was little chance of Toby being given a baby brother or sister any time soon.

'I think…I think I'll miss him.'

Five heads swivelled in Zach's direction who suddenly had something akin to a blush staining his cheeks.

'Well…what I mean is…well…its…interesting, you know, watching an infant develop both physically and socially, analysing his interactions with other members of his species, his…'

'Zach, do you fancy just for five minutes not being an anthropologist and instead trying do at least impersonate a human being.'

This time it was Booth and Brennan's turn to stifle a laugh as Angela slapped her husband on the shoulder.

'Jack, don't pick on him!'

'Yeah, don't pick on Dr. Zach.'

The adults in the room couldn't help but laugh at Parker's stern face, his small finger pointed squarely in Jack's direction. The sound of the doorbell halted their frivolity.

'Ok Parks, that'll be your mum, go get your stuff together.'

Booth stepped towards the door of the apartment as Angela and Hodgins partook the short voyage to the kitchen in search of another glass of wine. Zach was left to watch Toby as Brennan disappeared down the hallway on the hunt for Parker's bag. The boy in question didn't move. Standing stubbornly still as his mother entered the apartment. Booth turned back to his son.

'Come on Bub, go help Bones with your stuff.'

But Parker was in full-on pout mode and wasn't going anywhere.

'But daaaad!'

Booth just shook his head and Parker went for plan B.

'Mom, just a few more hours, pleeeaaaasssseee. It's Toby's last night.'

Rebecca turned to Booth just as Brennan appeared at his side, Parker's bag and coat in her hand.

'Really, he's going back to Cam?'

Brennan answered. She'd found herself enjoying the limited time she spent with the other woman in the Booth men's life as of late. The time they had spent together at the hands of Christian Elliot had formed an odd sort of bond between the pair, Brennan had even been invited to Rebecca's baby shower.

'She gets out of hospital first thing tomorrow so we're dropping Toby off and taking them home.'

'Will she be OK? I mean a baby's a lot of work and she's just had the operation…'

'She's having a nurse come in every other day for a couple of weeks and she knows that if she needs help from us she can just call.'

Rebecca leaned forward, one hand on her bump as the other patted Brennan's arm.

'She's lucky to have you, both of you.'

Temperance glanced down to where the smiling blonde's hand rested on her arm before looking back up to meet Rebecca's gaze with a smile and a small nod. Rebecca turned back to her son who was still not moving.

'Come on kiddo, you can see Toby again soon.'

'But mom…'

'No buts, come on we have to get going and your friends here probably want their rest, its getting late.'

'Its not that late.'

'Its late enough'

Parker, although persistent, apparently knew a lost cause when he saw one and heaved a dramatic sigh before he rolled his eyes and shuffled forward to hug first his father then Brennan.

'See you soon Parker.'

She smiled, but Parker's own grin faltered.

'Promise?'

It wasn't the first time in the last weeks he'd asked this, each time the same vulnerable look on his face as he waited for reassurance. A conversation with Booth had revealed he knew all too well what had transpired in the church three weeks earlier and was now worried over any departure of either his mother or his fathers girlfriend. Brennan knelt before him as her heart seized and placed her hands on his shoulders.

'Nothing is going to happen Parker, I promise. And I will do everything I can to keep that promise. I wont leave you and no one here is going anywhere. We'll see you soon ok.'

The boy didn't reply, he simply stood there for a second in silence, chewing his bottom lip before he burst into action, throwing his arms around Brennan's neck and hugging her tightly. She wrapped her own arms around him, standing to cradle him against her. She turned away from her partner and his ex, unable to bare the look in their eyes. She hugged the youngster in her arms tightly as she felt something akin to maternal guilt rush through her. This was her fault, partly at least. If she hadn't let herself be blindsided, if she hadn't let Christian take her then Parker would have nothing to fear. Booth, Brennan and Rebecca had shaken the boys belief that his family would always be their and the small doubt that now resided in his mind could never be reversed, not fully. That was down to them and they would spend the rest of their lives trying to make it up to him.

'I love you Dr. Bones.'

Brennan sucked in a breath and hid her face in his unruly curls as tears sprang to her eyes.

'I love you too Parker, I love you too.'

A few seconds later she set the boy down and his mother finally managed to get his on his way home. Brennan settled back on the couch. Angela and Hodgins soon said brief goodbye's and Booth had taken it upon himself to complete the task of collecting Toby's positions ready for his departure early the following morning. That left just Brennan and Zach, side by side on the couch, the baby sleeping before them curled on the mat. Zach broke the silence first.

'Will you miss him?'

She smiled wistfully.

'Yes. Its weird, he's been nothing but trouble, sleepless nights, changing arrangements, the constant pressure of caring for someone elses child…I should be glad to get rid of him but…'

'But you like the little guy.'

'He has his moments.'

'You're good with him you know.'

Temperance turned to her younger colleague with a small frown on her face and Zach rushed on with an explanation.

'I've seen you with him in the lab, sometimes you just seem…unsure…and I just…I wanted you to know…I wondered if anyone had ever…I really think that Cam couldn't have chosen anyone better to take care of him.'

For some reason the young anthropologists words that night meant more than anything anyone had said to her in the past three weeks. They provoked more emotion than Booth's whispered words of comfort in the dead of night, than Angela's attempts at distracting gossip, than even Parker's unwavering affection. Zach had just given her the one thing she didn't even know she wanted. He had given her approval, reassurance and a hint of confirmation that, should she ever choose to be, she would be a good parent, that she was good at something she couldn't learn in a classroom, that she'd been good for Toby.

She looked at him slowly before suddenly lunging forward and pulling Zach into a crushing hug. The young man froze before relaxing slightly and patting her awkwardly back. She pulled away slowly, brushing silent tears from her face and grinning brightly.

'Thank-you Zach…I mean it, thanks.'

Zach blushed profusely before standing up and mumbling something about catching the last bus. Brennan smiled graciously and let him go. She was just seeing him out the door when Booth re-appeared.

'Bones? Have you been crying?'

She turned to him and smiled.

'Yes, but it was good crying. Zach, he said…'

She sighed and grinned.

'It doesn't matter what he said…its not important.'

'It was important enough to cry over.'

'Really, it was a good thing, I'm fine…you can…you have to stop worrying about me.'

'Huh?'

She grabbed a bottle from the kitchen and settled herself on the couch, pulling a now awake Toby into her arms and offering him the bottle. It was strange how natural it all came now but it really was true what they said, practice made perfect and with Toby she'd had plenty of practice.

'The last few weeks, you've been great, you really have but…you've been a little too great. I'm trying to get back to normal, trying to get our life back to normal and I cant do that if you hover round me like I'll break if anyone so much as sneezes at me.'

Booth moved to seat himself on the couch opposite her and looked at the floor as he spoke.

'I just want to make things better.'

'I know, I know Seeley, and you are. You've helped me more than anyone and after what happened with Toby…well…you were right, you were quite entitled to leave me, to say you wouldn't help but you didn't. I should be the one apologising, I…I never really thought about you in all of this…'

He interrupted her.

'And I never thought about how much you needed to do this.'

'What?'

He smiled gently and swapped seats to sit beside her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

'I know you heard me…that day, in his room…I know you heard me saying that a part of me wished he was mine.'

'Cam told you.'

He nodded.

'She seemed to think you didn't believe me when I told you that you were everything I needed. She accused me of lying.'

She said nothing, shifting Toby to the cloth at her shoulder rubbing soothing circles across his back waiting for the inevitable burp. Sure enough seconds later she was rewarded with a small gurgle and a splash of baby milk across the cloth. Booth took the cloth and the baby, wiping Toby's mouth before tossing the cloth on the coffee table and turning to his partner.

'She was right, I did lie.'

Brennan's eyes snapped to his own.

'You know I want a baby with you. I'm not going to lie about that but…I can live without a baby, I can't live without you. When you were trapped with Christian…the minute I found out you were missing my first regret wasn't that we'd never have a child together it was that I might have had my last day with you, that I might never know how you got that scar on your elbow or why you don't like pie.'

He paused to move a once more sleeping Toby to his other arm.

'I was scared that I might never get to kiss you in the rain or make love with you under the stars. In that moment it didn't scare me that I might not ever marry you or have a family with you but it terrified me that I might not wake up with you ever again. It was the little things I was most scared about losing'

'Booth…I…'

'No, I need you to hear this. I am in love with you, painfully, hopelessly, impossibly in love with you. You. Y.O.U. Not an idea or a whimsical dream or a stupid expectation, but you. I don't want you to be anyone else, anything you're not. I just want to spend my life with you, to go to sleep and know you'll be there when I wake up. Is that so much to ask?'

She sniffled and brushed tears away for the second time that night, smiling as she placed her arms around Booth and pulled him to her in a hug to rival the one she had shared with Zach. Between them Toby slumbered on.

'No Booth, its not so much to ask, its nothing at all.'

They stayed silent for the longest of moments, wrapped in each others embrace as they watched Toby turning gently in his sleep. Temperance watched as the baby curled into her partners gentle embrace.

'You can say it you know, no one else will hear you.'

Brennan looked up at Booth as she spoke, a small smile gracing her lips and Booth chuckled lightly knowing exactly what she meant.

'Fine, I'll miss him, he's a cute kid.'

She laughed and he kissed her quickly, pulling his partner to her feet and heading from the room. They drifted to Toby's room, settling the infant in his crib before heading for her room. Once there they started their evening routine, she slipped into the bathroom whilst he plumped the cushions.

'By the way, what I said…about Toby…that never leaves this apartment.'

Brennan popped her head around the doorway with a giggle.

'Aww, scared people will see your sensitive side.'

'Bones…I mean it…say anything and you're dead.'

She laughed breathily and batted her eyelashes.

'Oh really, you think you could take me?'

'Oh I know I could baby.'

She licked her lips and grinned.

'Prove it.'

Booth gave a wicked grin. He never was one to turn down a challenge.

* * *

**Coming up: Cam is released from hospital, Brennan says goodbye to Toby and Booth remembers he still has something to say...**


	45. Acta non verba, Action not words

**Ok, so I'm back again and after this there's just one more part to go so I thought I'd be nice and give you a nice long chapter with plenty to look forward too, such as the return of everyone's favourite social worker, Brennan goodbye and Booths recolection of a certain conversation...**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Bones**

* * *

**Chapter 45**

**Acta non verba - Action not words**

When Brennan woke the next morning it would be fair to say that she put up a valiant effort against her assaulting alarm clock, keeping her eyes shut until the last possible moment when the beeping became unbearable. She twisted in bed, slapping the alarm with a defeated sigh. Then, as she turned back to her still sleeping partner, reality hit her and she froze. Her alarm had woken her. For the first time in six weeks it had been the electronic beeping and not Toby's cries that had stirred her from her slumber.

The baby monitor on the bedside table flashed green, most definitely working but defiantly silent, and panic flashed through her. She leaped from the bed, ignoring Booths sleep-induced mumbling as she sprinted down the hall. She winced as she miscalculated the turn into Toby's room and ran headlong into the edge of the doorway, bashing her still bruised ribs. She ignored the pain and rushed to the infants crib. She looked down and waited…

One millisecond…

Two milliseconds…

Three milliseconds…

Then finally she sighed with relief as the baby's tiny chest rose gently before falling again softly. Brennan smiled and almost laughed at herself as the panic subsided. She turned at the sound of footsteps and whispered a 'good-morning' as Booth came to stand beside her at the crib.

'I was going to let you sleep a bit longer.'

Booth shrugged and answered in an equally hushed tone.

'I wondered where you were.'

'I was worried. He…he didn't cry.'

Booth nodded in understanding, moving a hand to rub soothing circles across his partners back.

'He's only four months old. Isn't that an odd age to sleep through the night?'

Booth shrugged again.

'Its different with all babies Bones. Parker was seven months before Rebecca got a decent nights sleep. Maybe he's just good. I mean he's hardly a fussy baby is he.'

'I suppose not, and he did have a big day yesterday, maybe that's why he slept. I don't know, I just…'

'Panicked?'

She nodded, her focus still trained on the steady rise and fall of Toby's chest as the infant slept.

'I suppose this was only to be expected, getting attached to him that is. Care-giving requires a large amount of emotional investment. The development of maternal tendencies towards ones' charge is simply a natural by-product.'

Booth smiled into her hair and he wrapped both arms around her waist from behind, peering over her head as he spoke.

'Yeah, that and you love the little guy.'

She smiled wistfully, watching as Toby reached out in his sleep and pulled Binkie closer.

'He's a good baby. It'll be weird without him around.'

'Are you going to be OK today, leaving him with Cam I mean?'

She nodded swiftly.

'She's his mother, he belongs with her.'

'Still…'

'It'll be weird Booth, like I said and I probably will miss him for a few days but this was only ever meant to be temporary and at home with Cam is the best place for him. We were fine without him before, we will be again. Once he's home maybe things can really start getting back to normal.'

Booth was beginning to wonder if he ever really knew what normal was.

'Anyway, like we said, its not as if we'll never see him again.'

In the crib below Toby finally stirred, opening his eyes to stare silently up at his temporary foster parents, ready to spend his final morning with them. Brennan smiled again and stroked a finger gently down his cheek. Toby gurgled and Brennan laughed. Behind her Booth felt his chest tighten at the sight of them and he placed a kiss atop his partners head.

'I love you'

She scooped Toby into her arms and turned to Booth with a bemused expression on her face.

'Where did that come from?'

He shrugged for the third time that morning.

'Its just that sometimes I think I forget just how wonderful you actually are.'

She stood still for a moment before stepping forward to kiss him quickly on the cheek.

'I love you too Booth…now, breakfast?'

* * *

For some reason hospitals were far nicer places to be when you had a positive reason to be there. At least that was Brennan's official theory but she had a feeling that the brightly coloured balloons tied to the baby carrier, the flowers she carried and her partners cheerful whistling probably helped.

Their morning had passed quickly as they occupied themselves with mundane tasks such as Toby's morning routine, a walk in the park and a trip to develop the three rolls of film Booth had insisted on taking the night before at the 'party'. Currently however Booth and Brennan were faced with the rather more challenging task of manoeuvring Toby's carrier into the crowded elevator. They were there to collect Cam who was due to be discharged any minute and Brennan felt her mood lift to new heights at the thought of reuniting mother and son.

Try as she might Brennan had regretfully only actually been to visit Cam four times since the nightmare with Christian, with her own physical state, Phoebe's funeral and a backlog of work demanding the majority of her time and attention. Booth had helped where possible, taking Toby to Cam when Brennan couldn't make it, and Temperance was confident that the difficulties of the past might finally be behind them.

The elevator 'pinged' and the doors slid slowly open to reveal the sterile hospital ward they hoped they would be visiting for the last time. It also revealed a disgruntled looking Sheila Monroe as she hovered at the end of the corridor outside Cams room. Brennan huffed out a sigh and threw Booth a pained look before stalking down the corridor towards the social worker, leaving her partner to follow with the baby.

'Miss Monroe.'

She turned to them, her lips curving into an acid smile as she purred her reply.

'Ahh, Miss Brennan, Mr…'

Brennan resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Booth supplied his name, despite this being the second time in two weeks that he had met with the enchanting Miss Monroe.

'Ahh yes, Mr Booth, of course.'

Brennan gave up being tactful and got straight to the point.

'Why are you here? I wasn't aware we had a meeting.'

Sheila Monroe raised her head slightly as she gave a patronising little laugh and Brennan felt the sudden urge to vomit.

'You must have forgotten then. Of course we have a meeting, there are forms to sign Miss Brennan.'

'Its Doctor.'

'Huh?'

Brennan shook her head. It really wasn't worth it.

'Never mind. Why are we waiting in the corridor?'

'Miss Saroyan is with her consultant.'

As she spoke the door to Cams room opened and the aforementioned consultant stepped out, grinning broadly as he sauntered down the corridor. The three adults and Toby entered the room and watched as Cam packed the last of her belongings into her bag. Brennan smiled to herself, thinking how good it was to see Cam out of bed. The glow had returned to her cheeks and, although her road to recovery was not over yet, it was nice to see a little more of the old Cam. Booth noticed a smile on Cams own face and called her on it.

'Pleased to be leaving?'

Cam nodded then winked.

'Yeah that and my doctor just asked for my number.'

Booth let out a barking laugh and shook his head.

'Same old Camille.'

'I'm a mother Seeley, not a grandmother...and don't call me Camille.'

'Then quit calling me Seeley.'

Brennan smiled at the exchange as Miss Monroe demanded their attention with a not-so-subtle cough.

'If we can be getting to work, I do have other cases to see you know.'

Cam exchanged a look with Brennan.

'Ok, lets just get on with it.'

* * *

Six forms and ten signatures later and they were done.

'There we are, care of Baby Saroyan has now officially been transferred back to his mother and, God willing, this will be our last meeting.'

In that moment, with cramp in her hand and an intense dislike of the woman before her, Temperance Brennan really, really hoped there was a God.

'Right, well I'll be going then.'

Everyone nodded and offered polite smiles as the social worker left and Cam sighed in relief as the door closed with a soft click.

'Thank God that's over, that woman is unbelievable.'

Temperance nodded mutely in agreement with Cam before she froze, nodded sharply then sprinted from the door, leaving Booth and Cam to peer after her.

'Miss Monroe!'

Sheila Monroe turned on her shiny designer heel at the sound of Brennan's voice and the anthropologist jogged a little to catch up with her.

'Yes Miss Brennan?'

Brennan smiled sweetly mirroring Sheila's earlier smirk.

'I just wanted to say thank-you really, and to perhaps give you some advice.'

The social worker pursed her lips together.

'And what advice might that be?'

Brennan raised an eyebrow and leaned forward until she was toe to toe with Miss Monroe, hands of her hips as she spoke, knowing she could be formidable when she wanted to be.

'I think that you should seriously rethink your career choices because honestly, your people skills leave a lot to be desired.'

With that Brennan turned, flicking her hair as Sheila Monroe stood completely still in shock, her mouth slightly ajar as she tried to work out what the hell had just happened. Booth grinned, a vague look of pride on his face and Cam laughed as Brennan entered the room.

'Well I'm glad one of us said something to her.'

'You know I have a very good feeling that the lovely Miss Monroe will find her vocation lies outside the realms of Family Services.'

They all laughed and Toby gurgled drawing their attention back to him, Brennans smile slipping slightly.

'You ready to go Cam?'

Cam looked from Toby to Temperance and smiled gently.

'Definitely.'

* * *

On arrival Brennan was once again reminded of how bare Cams small apartment was. She noticed Booth, who had not been to the apartment before, glancing around as he carried in Toby's belongings.

'Its err...'

Cam raised an eyebrow and leaned heavily on one of the crutches she would be using for the following weeks.

'Its a dump Booth, you don't have to defend it. I'm moving first opportunity I get. In fact my folks are coming down for a couple of days next week to help me look.'

'Thats great Cam, you're back on speaking terms then, your sister too?'

Cam nodded.

'It would seem that the incentive of never seeing me or Toby ever again can be quite effective.'

Cam smiled and shuffled through to the kitchen with the promise of a coffee, catching Booths eye as she went. Booth watched as his partner silently walked to the couch and settled herself with Toby's carrier at her feet.

'I err...I think there might be a few things left in the car so I'll...I'll be back in a minute.'

He shot one last sideways glance at Brennan before disappearing into the hallway. She rolled her eyes and looked down at Toby, talking in a hushed voice as he blinked up at her.

'They think I dont know why they've left. Apparently they think I need alone time with you, closure or something.'

The baby gave no reply, just pulled a face akin to a smile. Brennan laughed softly and lifted him from the carrier, holding him in front of her.

'Its annoying, I'm perfectly capable of managing my own emotions and yet...and yet they think they have to look after me...'

Brennan paused and looked down at the baby, taking everything in from his rosebud lips to the gentle fan of his eyelashes and something inside of her twisted. Silence hovered in the air thick and heavy and when she finally spoke it was in a small voice barely above a whisper that was tinged with emotion.

'Will you even miss me?'

The minute the words had slipped from her lips she felt silly and she let out a harsh laugh far too loud for the room as she brushed a lone tear from her cheek.

'Of course you wont, you dont even understand what I'm saying so how can I expect you to remember the last six weeks.'

Toby blinked up at her again, following her with his eyes, letting her know she had his unwavering attention. She swallowed the lump of emotion that was clogging her throat and pulled him closer to her, cuddling him to her breast.

'I'll miss you though. I shouldn't but I will because...because you've changed me. You done more to change my opinions in the last six weeks than most people who've known me my whole life and you didn't even know you were doing it.'

She watched as he reached up to wrap a piece of her hair around his small fist.

'You let me know that if I wanted this I could have it, I could be a mother, a wife and it might not be a complete disaster. If I want it I can have it and if I don't I don't have to, you let me know I have a choice. You, sweet, innocent, wonderful you, you gave me that choice.'

She dropped her voice to a whisper, uneasy of her own confession.

'I love you Toby. I should hate you but I cant. You came hurtling into my life and took away everything that was stable and dependable in it and yet...and yet you've made me a better person because of it.'

Toby gurgled and Temperance laughed softly.

'You mommy is very lucky and your dad, whoever he is, is lucky too because, as illogical as it is, I know you're going to grow up a great kid. You cant fail really after all, not with Cam, Angela, Hodgins, Zach, Booth, Parker and me for a family.'

She smiled again as he tugged at her auburn locks.

'That's what we are Toby, a family, and that's how I know you'll be OK because…because they looked after me and I'm OK. There's more than one type of family Toby and you know what, we're the best kind because…because we chose each other.'

She pulled Toby closer, breathing in his lingering baby scent. She exhaled slowly and lifted him gently to eye-level.

'Never forget that Toby, you'll probably never remember this conversation but I'll make it my job to help you remember this. You were chosen and you were wanted and loved. It might not have been easy but your mom chose to keep you, to welcome you into our lives and I…I chose to let you stay there, I chose to take care of you, to let you in and…and if I had to make my choices again…I'd do it all exactly the same.'

Toby dropped her hair and wriggled. She noticed the signs of him settling for sleep and she reached into his carrier to reunite him with Binkie, the mint green bear. She smiled softly. She'd lied, she wouldn't miss him, because that suggested regret and she didn't regret reuniting him with his mother, she wouldn't let herself. Besides, there was nothing to miss, he wasn't going anywhere, she could always visit. She kissed him softly on the crown of his head as he slipped off to sleep. She nodded to herself. It was done, this was her goodbye. She settled him gently back in the carrier and stood, turning to see Cam at the kitchen door, her crutches momentarily discarded, her cheeks damp.

Brennan watched silently as Cam slowly shuffled towards her, stopping beside the baby carrier.

'Did I even say thank you?'

Brennan shook her head.

'You don't have to.'

Cam nodded. The past was forgotten and this was them drawing a line under it. Both women turned to see Booth at the door, standing uneasily not knowing what to do or say. Temperance smiled at him.

'I'm coming'

She turned to Cam.

'I'd say good-luck but it doesn't sound right.'

Cam smiled softly.

'It sounds perfect.'

She pulled Brennan into a surprising hug and held her tightly. Brennan found herself returning the hug then pulling away gently. Cam held her hand out. For seconds Temperance just stared at it before she grinned and returned the gesture by shaking Cams hand softly.

'I'll take good care of him. I promise.'

Temperance nodded.

'He's your son, of course you will.'

Cam returned the comment with a nod of her own.

'I just needed you to know.'

'Thank you Camille.'

'No, thank you.'

Goodbye's were uttered and Booth gave Toby the parting gift of a blue cat to be friends with Binkie before the he and Temperance vacated the apartment to leave Cam with her son. They were the halfway to the car before Booth finally spoke.

'Hey wait a minute. How come you can call her Camille but I cant?!'

Temperance just laughed.

'Come on, I fancy eating dinner out tonight. If your quick we can even have pie.'

Booth smiled. Pie was a big incentive…alone time with the woman he loved was an even bigger one. Besides, he seemed to remember a certain conversation regarding a certain anthropologist possibly co-inhabiting with a particular FBI agent. Toby was home now and she'd had plenty of time to think…yes, it was definitely time to ask again…

* * *

**Coming up: Its the final chapter. Bridges are mended, confessions are made and there's one final twist in the tale...**


	46. Quid Latine dictum,,,Whatever is said,,,

**So, here it is, the final chapter. Firstly this has been a nightmare to write. Its taken forever and I'm convinced its too long but there was just so much to cram in. I've thoroughly enjoyed writing both this and Carpe Diem and I just want to thank everyone who has read this story but especially those of you who have reviewed: **

This-Family-Affair, readergirl828, siddika, mpredrox, InfernoRed2937, Scipio'sgirl, bones4life, HolidayArmadillo, Addictt, a911chic, mendenbar, Bones4Booth, pagan-seijou, Bellabun, bb-4ever, YouAndMeKelly, ilovepeterpetrelli, angel6.d, will girl, DeanParker, SupernaturalFan666, graceful phoenix, Kates Master, Chanelle Brennan, canadianagurl, Organa46, Kyizi, Khitie Ethrin, Muppet madness, bonesluvers456, Brenna mars, Elliesmeow, caroldpb, strider84, Lu78, FauxMaven, Sarali1983, VegasButterfly, inurdreams21, Alphie13, mumrulz, inzaghina, Leena7, Cali1043, LAIsobel, cass.101, KB22, yurface9311, Dirty Little Butterfly, kairbear1980, daisy07, imprinter, HawkAngel XD, fairytalelovestory, Amelibum, seeleyswifey, Angel1002, angelaeh1121, laura-az, (and anyone else I'm sorry enough to have missed)

**Also a great big thanks to anyone who has favourited this or me and put the story or me on alert, it means a lot :) As some of you know I was inconveniently let down by my beta in the early part of this story and have been unable to find a replacement since. As a result I think the story probably has suffered grammatically but I hope to have a fully edited version up in the next few weeks so all those annoying little typos should disappear for those who have favourited this story.**

**I am well aware that this hasnt been the most cheerful of tales and after I finish my other story 'What a Difference a Year Makes' I hope to be back with a more upbeat fanfic. This chapter contains some references to events that took place in the final chapters of Carpe Diem so if you havent read it or need reminding a suggest a quick read of the last few chapters :)**

**Finally I am still extremely unsure about this final chapter since it contains a plot twist that has been planned since the beginning and now I'm not sure if it fits, I have a feeling you'll either love it or hate it...I hope for love obviously lol. Anyway enough of me and on with the(extra extra long) finale...enjoy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 46**

**Quid Latine dictum sit altum viditur - Whatever had been said in Latin seems deep**

_Seven months later…_

'Can we go yet?'

Parker's whine rang through the house for the third time that morning and Booth laughed at his son.

'Calm down, we'll be leaving soon I promise…at least I hope we will.'

Booth bent down and helped his son tie his laces before shouting up the stairs that adjoined the living room.

'Bones, you nearly ready?'

Nothing, no reply. Booth straightened and glanced up the stairs where his partner had been firmly shut away in the bedroom for almost and hour.

'Bones are you OK up there?'

The reply was slow coming and cautious.

'Errr…yeah…I'll…just give me a few minutes…'

'Bones…we kind of need to go…Angela will kill us if we're late and we still have to get Cam…'

'Fine…I'm coming…just…just…there, coming…five more minutes…'

Booth smothered a smile and turned back to Parker who was swinging his legs to and fro from his position on the sofa. Booth knew boredom when he saw it and he couldn't blame the kid. They seemed to have been waiting for an age for Brennan to get ready so they could all depart for a family day out at the Jeffersonian Summer Fair.

'Why's she taking so long?'

'I don't know Parks', I guess she's just trying to make herself look nice.'

Parker frowned in confusion.

'But she always looks nice.'

Booth smiled at his son and remembered once more how blessed he was that his son loved his partner almost as much as he did.

'She's nearly ready Parker, we can go soon.'

Parker frowned again and stared at his shoes as they shifted with the sway of his legs.

'I got up early and everything. Dr.Jack says there's going to be a merry-go-round and a pony! And auntie Angela said there's going to be food and cakes and icecream. I asked Zach if he liked ice-cream but I'm not sure if he does or not because I didn't really understand what he meant when he answered. He said he's looking forward to helping judge the junior science fair. That's why we need to hurry dad, the contest…'

Booth sighed, it was the millionth time that weekend he had heard about the science contest and his girlfriend hadn't exactly helped to dampen his sons enthusiasm.

'Don't worry Parker, they're not judging the competition until gone twelve and its only…'

He glanced at his watch.

'…half-nine.'

'Yeah but dad, what about the pony? I told Jenny's cousins brother about the fair and he said…'

Booth momentarily ignored his son as he heard the unmistakable sound of the bedroom door opening and his partners footfalls on stairs. He saw her feet first as she slowly stepped down the stairs. She wore black patent mary-janes that gave way to opaque black tights that covered slender legs. Booth forced his eyes upwards as she walked further down the stairs revealing the hem of her deep blue summer dress, the thin cotton sweeping across the flare of her hips and her toned stomach. He took in the curve of her breast and the creamy tone of her skin at the spot between her collar-bone and her neck which was adorned with a simple silver chain Booth himself had bought her a month earlier for her birthday.

Her eyes met his hesitantly and she offered him a wobbly smile as she stepped into the living room. Parker uttered a desperate 'finally' under his breath but Booth didn't even hear him.

'You look…'

She chewed nervously on her bottom lips as she silently sought his approval.

'I wasn't sure what to wear…'

He almost asked why. She wasn't usually one to stand on ceremony or care what others thought of her so it struck him as odd that she was concerned about what she looked like. It also struck him how truly endearing she was. It wasn't the first time she had doubted her own appearance and he wondered who in her past had ever made her feel less than perfect.

'You look great Bones.'

He was rewarded with a grin and she grabbed her bag from the banister, declaring they could now leave. Parker muttered another barely discernible 'finally' but Booth let him off, after all there's only so long you can expect a kid to wait for ponies and merry-go-rounds.

* * *

Brennan ushered Parker to the car and watched as Booth locked the door. _Their door _she though with a smile. When things were finally settled with Cam and Toby and everything was back to being as normal as it could be at work Booth had stayed true to his vow and re-asked Brennan to move in with him. She'd agreed on one condition, that rather than him moving in with her or vice versa, they looked for a completely new place, a fresh start. That was how three short months later the pair found themselves the proud owners of a three bed roomed, Victorian house in a pricey area of D.C., white picket fence and all.

Compromises had of course been made. For example several of her artefacts had been moved to the lab to make room for sports memorabilia and he had foregone a games room in favour of her office but other than that the move had gone better than either had anticipated and she could honestly say she loved her new home. She loved the wooden floor in the dining room, she loved the granite work surface in the kitchen, she loved the tyre swing hanging from the tree at the end of the garden and she loved the man she got to wake up next to every morning.

Cam had also moved and it was to her new apartment the three were headed. Having taken up the position as head of pathology at the Jeffersonian she could now afford a much nicer place and the museum day-care meant that she no longer had to worry so much about caring for Toby. She had moved to her new apartment three weeks after leaving hospital after declaring it 'the perfect home for herself and her son' just four minutes into the real estate tour. As they pulled up outside Brennan was forced once more to agree with her, it was the perfect place for them. The comfortable two bed roomed home was situated not half a mile from a local park, local schools were good and the neighbourhood had some of the lowest crime statistics in D.C. All in all Brennan could see why her colleague would be happy to see her son grow up there.

'Right, wait here, I'll be right back.'

Brennan smiled at Booth as he hopped from the car and strolled into Cam's building.

'Are you excited about the fair Tempe?'

She twisted in the seat to talk to Parker.

'It'll be fun.'

'We're going to miss it all if dad doesn't hurry up.'

'Your dad'll be back in a minute, he's just helping Cam with Toby.'

It had been agreed the week earlier that Booth and Brennan would give Cam and her son a lift to the fair, it made the most sense after-all since they only lived ten minutes apart and Cam didn't have a car.

'Toby's OK, he's better than Lilly. Girls are silly.'

Brennan grinned at Parker's mention of his new baby sister. Despite his protests, and apparent disappointment at being gifted with a sister rather than a brother, it was common knowledge that he was fiercely protective and, according to Rebecca, doted on the little girl.

'Surely all girls aren't silly?'

He caught on to her teasing and giggled.

'Not you, you're ok….and mom…and Cam and Angela are ok I 'spose…'

'And Lilly, is she silly?'

Parker nodded, his characteristically unruly curls flicking in front of his eyes.

'She cant play any games and she cries all the time and she smells funny…'

'Parker don't be mean about you sister.'

Parker turned at the sound of his fathers voice and smiled sheepishly.

'Hi Parks.'

He smiled a hello at Cam as she settled Toby's car seat beside Parker and moved to help Booth with the stroller. Brennan took the opportunity to get a good look at Toby.

The infant seemed to have visibly changed almost every time she saw him. He was now equipped with a full mouth of pearly baby teeth which he exposed as Parker tickled him. His hair had grown thicker and was identical in colour and texture to his mothers. His eyes remained ever-unchanged, dark chocolate disks that often inferred an intelligence beyond his comprehension.

Brennan now rarely though of Cams betrayal all that time ago but one look into the eyes of the child that had been at the centre of all that heartache and pain and she was back in her apartment, a crumbled mess as she packed her things ready to leave her partner and friends forever to avoid an event she had no control over, the birth of this very child. She was happy with the way things had turned out, she was happy with Booth but…sometimes she couldn't help but wonder how different life might have been if Toby didn't exist or, even more worryingly, what it would have been like if Booth hadn't stopped her at the airport that day…

'Everyone ready?'

Booths question produced a chorus of 'yes' from the other members of the SUV and they smoothly pulled away from the sidewalk and were at last of their way to the fair for a day full of fun, relaxation and ice-cream.

* * *

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived, with Jeffersonian employees, benefactors and various families and friends all enjoying the days activities whilst basking in the warm atmosphere of the summer's afternoon. Parker had immediately begged permission to go and play and Booth had laughingly agreed, pulling Brennan along as they headed for the bouncy castle. Cam declined the offer of joining them, choosing instead to walk the perimeter of the gardened area that had been chosen for the event.

She smiled politely at the colleagues that approached her and answered good natured questions about the well-being of herself and Toby. She swapped anecdotal tales with museum benefactors and chatted easily with the wives of her superiors. Twenty minutes of mingling later she pushed Toby's stroller through the improvised picnic area and settled on a wooden bench, pushing the stroller to and fro in a soothing motion, her son sleeping in the heat of the midday sun.

She watched parents play games of hide and seek with their children and infants squeal as they rode a small white pony from one end of the garden to the other. Young wives, bored with the working lives of their high powered husbands, huddled together sharing in idle chatter as they shaded beneath one of the three white tents erected on the grassy lawn.

In the distance elder members of the gathering settled themselves together on benches, sharing tales of times gone by and the way things used to be and there, in a grassy area away from the commotion of the rest of the fair and sheltered by flowering blossom trees, a young couple were settled neatly on the ground lounging against each other, a blond-haired whirlwind running circles round them until his father grabbed him, forcing him to the ground and smothering him with kisses and tickles, his partner acting as a willing accomplice.

Cam smiled and something stirred within her as she watched Parker run off to play again, Booth and Brennan watching him go. She didn't recognise the feeling that stirred in the pit of her stomach. Jealousy? Regret? Resignation? Maybe a little of each. She couldn't work it out, she was happy for them, she really was and she would never try anything with Booth, any feelings she may have harboured for him in the past had long since dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a lingering friendship and the trappings of a long acquaintance and yet...And yet in some ways she still envied what Brennan had, a nice home, a family, a partner who adored her, the respect of her colleagues.

It was everything Cam had once wanted and everything she knew she would now probably never have. The dream of the perfect family had fast dissolved with Toby's birth. Make no mistake, she loved her son, but even she could see the difficulties of finding the perfect man and producing a brood of beautiful children when you already had a son, and one devoid of a father at that. Cam had come to terms with that, she was content with her life, with her son but...it never hurt to wonder.

'Perfect aren't they?'

Cam didn't turn as Angela settled herself beside her on the bench but stayed staring resolutely forward. Her communications with the usually perky artist had been cordial the past seven months but they were far from friends and never socialised outside of work. It seemed to outsiders that Angela had stilled not forgiven Cam for the hurt she had caused a certain anthropologist but Cam had other ideas, believing Angela's harboured resentment to go deeper than that although she was unable to put her finger on the exact reason for the cold shoulder she had received from the young woman.

'They seem happy enough.'

'Well that's the understatement of the century, he dotes on her and she couldn't live without him.'

Cam had to agree with that. Their devotion to each other was clear to even the most oblivious and seemed to have possibly even intensified these past few months.

'They seem to be finally getting back to normal.'

Angela nodded.

'They've not had it easy but they'll be OK.'

Cam turned to her, a quizical expression on her brow.

'I know, I know they will.'

She wondered what Angela wanted, why she had chosen to sit with her today of all days and preach her friends undeniable happiness.

'I hope you know.'

'I do.'

For a moment they were silent whilst they watched together as Booth leaned in to kiss his partner quickly before throwing her beneath him and attacking her in the same way he had his son. Even from that distance the laughter in Brennan's eyes was clear and her cheeks were visibly flushed.

'She only just made it you know. I know for a fact she's thought about giving in, leaving him and throwing in the towel, more than once.'

Cam turned Toby's stroller around so that he was facing her and watched as he slumbered on. She ignored Angela who seemed not to notice and ploughed on.

'And we all know for a fact he's considered leaving her.'

The comment was a barely veiled allusion to the events of the previous year and Cam had had enough. She stayed facing forward, never once looking at Angela but her voice now held and edge that told the artist she wasn't messing about.

'Ok, Angela, what the hell is this about. What exactly do you want from me?'

'The truth.'

Cam said nothing and stared once more across the lawn to watch her friends. She suddenly sensed that Angela had been waiting for this moment for a very long time and she was filled with a sudden sense of foreboding. Beside her Angela let out a long sigh.

'I know.'

This time Cam did turn to her, more in surprise and curiosity than anything else.

'What?'

'I know Cam. I have done for ages. I know your little secret.'

Cam said nothing but watched carefully as her son murmured in his sleep.

'How long did you think you'd get away with it?'

Cam sighed, finally caving to the other woman's interrogation.

'I was hoping for forever. How long have you known...in fact, no, for starters what exactly is it you think you know?'

She stared at the artist, unwilling to reveal her most precious secret until she knew it was too late.

'That night in the hospital, you were so ill, they were worried about you. I came to check on them and...and I saw...I saw Booth with Toby and I knew, how I hadn't seen it before I don't know, its so damn obvious. Toby **is **Booth's son, isn't he?'

Cam smiled sadly as she spied Parker on the merry-go-round, his father watching cautiously on, Brennan at his side. She looked down into the stroller where Toby was waking and looked right into his dark eyes, his fathers eyes. Cam suddenly found her mind being drawn back to a conversation that took place a full fifteen months earlier in a bleak side room in the maternity unity of Washington General and wondered how different things could be...

#Flashback#

_She knew she'd pushed her luck but desperation had taken hold and she wasn't able to stop the words coming out. He was so worried about Brennan all the time he was only ever half there anyway and now...now she was leaving maybe...His voice cut through her thoughts._

_'But you did want to split us up?'_

_Cam said nothing then decided it was too late for everything now and let her bitterness and anger take over._

_'She was always there, always in the way. Even when we were together you were half with her, your head was at least. Everyone thought she was so perfect but I knew, I knew Seeley she could never give you what you wanted, what you really wanted: a wife, children. I can give you that.'_

_'But it doesn't matter Cam, I'd give all that up for her.'_

_He was telling the truth, she knew he was and that stung more than anything else ever had, the truth that he'd go without the one thing he so desperately wanted just for a woman that wasn't her. No one had even thought to love her that way. After his truth hers came spilling out and her plan was revealed to the world. _

_'I know, that's why when I found out I was pregnant I saw my opportunity. I knew she wouldn't stay, she wouldn't want to be a family wrecker after all.'_

_'How can you see being pregnant as an opportunity?'_

_'Because up until the minute I found out about you and Brennan I was going to get rid of it!'_

_Another truth, she wasn't lying and though it would hurt in the months to come to know that she had ever not wanted her child it had been true once. Booth wasn't sure what to say but found his voice again quickly, glad that a nurse hadn't yet interrupted them._

_'You...you...How could you think of...'_

_'Oh calm down Seeley, it's the twenty first century and you might be catholic but I'm not. I wanted rid of it and then I saw you and Brennan together and I knew we could be a family, that a baby would be just the thing to get rid of her once and for all.'_

_'I can't believe you're being like this. How could you use a baby like this? My baby?'_

_And that's when it happened, the defining moment that would shape the rest of both her own and her childs' life. She saw it all then in his eyes, he never wanted her, not really, it was only ever about Temperance and what followed was, for the first time in months, an act of love and not, as others see it, revenge. It took all of three seconds for Camille Olivia Saroyan to perform both the most slefless and selfish act of her life._

_'No Seeley, my baby.'_

_She said it, she'd uttered that most soul destroying of lies and for a moment she wanted to take it back, horrified at the ease with which it slipped from her lips._

_'What, don't I get a say in this?'_

_Cam couldn't help it; she let out a small sick, curdling laugh, standing up to face him. She was angry now, she'd made her bed and she was well prepared to lie in it._

_'You still don't get it do you... it's not yours.'_

_'W...what?'_

_'I'll spell it out shall I. The. Baby. Isn't. Yours.'_

_'I don't understand.'_

_'What's to understand?'_

_She wished he'd just leave, just go to Brennan, just go be happy and leave her with their baby and her secret._

_'W...Who's is it?'_

_'I don't know but I know it isn't yours, that's all you really need to know isn't it.'_

_'You lied?'_

_She almost laughed at the irony, now she was lying about a lie._

_'Yes I lied and you believed every minute of it. Why would it have been such a bad thing Seeley? You would have been a dad again and everyone would have been happy, no one would have ever known but you had to ruin it didn't you, you had to fall in love with her. You know what Seeley we are so alike.'_

_'I'm nothing like you.'_

_'Oh yes you are because we both want the same things and we're both so incredibly desperate. I was so desperate I lied to you and you we're so desperate you believed every minute of it. I may seem like the bad person for lying, for deceiving you, but you loved every second of it. Face it Seeley, you wanted the lies, you wanted to be deceived.'_

_The pair stared at each other long and hard before Booth finally blinked at her and took a step back._

_'I think we're done here Camille.'_

_He turned to the door and Cam knew he wouldn't be coming back, not for her at least..._

_#End Flashback#_

Cam sighed as her memories faded and stroked a finger down Toby's cheeks. He watched her with curious eyes.

'Yes.'

'Say it Cam, I think you need to say it.'

'Yes Booth is Toby's father.'

Angela shook her head.

'Why did you do this?'

Cam turned to her, suddenly annoyed at the way Angela seemed to think this was any of her business.

'Why the hell do you want to know?'

'Because they're my friends and I...I'm trying to understand why you would do this to them, to him, to her...'

'You don't get it do you? I didn't do this **to **them I did it **for** them.'

'What? I...?

'I took one look in his eyes that day at the hospital, the day she left, and I knew...it was never about me, never. It was always about them and for him it always was, and always would be, about her. If he'd stayed with me, if he'd let her go, he'd have hated every moment of life with me. He'd have hated me and he'd have resented Toby and in the end he'd have hated himself for letting her slip through his fingers. I couldn't let that happen.'

'So you...did this for them?'

Angela seemed to be struggling with the concept.

'Its better this way, like you said, they're happy now. I'm not proud of what I did but its done now. I'm content and Toby has the perfect family, I mean its not like he'll never see Booth'

'Still...its not the same...how could...you know how badly Booth wants another child.'

Cam nodded.

'And he'll get one.'

It was Angela's turn to be confused.

'What?'

Cam smiled gently and nodded in the direction of their mutual friends.

'Look at her, she's practically glowing.'

'You mean...?'

Cam nodded slowly.

'How long have you known, did she tell you, has she told Booth?'

Cam shook her head.

'I'm not sure she even knows herself but she is, I promise you she's pregnant. Maybe its some kind of mom radar you only aquire when you've suffered severely swollen ankles and had another being dictate when you pee for nine months.'

Angela supressed a smile and bit her lip.

'Do you think...?'

She trailed off, not wanting to ask this particular question. Cam nodded again, understanding the unspeakable question as she lifted a fussy Toby onto her lap.

'She'll keep it. She...I think she wants a baby almost as much as he does, she's just too scared to admit it.'

Minutes ticked by in silence and they watched as Parker returned to Booth and Brennan and the family disappeared from view.

'Will you ever tell him?'

Angela's eyes were now fixed on the young boy in Cams lap. Cam wrinkled her forehead.

'I don't know...maybe...one day.'

Angela nodded and in that moment they both knew. Cam knew Angela would never divulge her secret, not even to her best friend, and Angela knew that Cam would almost certainly never reveal Toby's parentage to Booth. And, as the pair gazed wistfully at the spot where their friends had been, Angela's hand reached across to encapsulate Cam's and suddenly, after secrets had been revealed and truths spoken, on that warm summers day when they least expected it, a friendship was healed.

* * *

A short distance away from the drama and excitement of the fair Booth and Brennan lounged against a tree, blissfully unaware of anything Cam had said. Parker was playing under the watchful supervision of Hodgins meaning the pair finally had some well earned alone-time and it was exactly what Brennan had waited for all day.

She'd thought long and hard about what she was about to do and knew it was now or never, she had to do it before she talked herself out of it. She gazed up at Booth from the place where her head rested on his shoulder.

'Booth? Will you...?'

She stalled and he looked at her, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

'What?'

She sighed and frowned deciding the direct approach was probably best. She shuffled around to sit between Booths legs. She looked him in the eyes, hers today the colour of a clear blue sky, his molten chocolate.

'Booth, will you marry me?'

For a minute he just stared at her, mouth slightly agape, and she worried that perhaps the direct approach wasn't the right one after-all. Then finally he recovered the power of speech...just about.

'What?'

She sighed.

'Okaaay, this isn't exactly going the way I planned.'

She rolled away to sit back beside him against the tree, absently brushing an errent piece of cherry blossom from her hair as she went.

'Sorry, I just...I'm a little surprised.'

She smiled, she could forgive him that.'

'I thought you didn't believe in marriage.'

She nodded slowly, she was prepared for this question.

'I think, I was against what I thought marriage was if that makes sense. I used to think that marriage was all about ownership and oppression and ownership and now...now I don't.'

'So...what do you think it's about?'

She reached across to hold his hand.

'Now I think that marriage is about commitment, its about making a statement to the world, about telling everyone that you're here and you're together and that you want to be together for the rest of your lives and I...I want that, I want that with you. I want to be your wife...if you'll have me that is...'

He didn't answer, just leaned down and kissed her, a soul searing, earth shattering, proposal accepting, kiss.

'Of course I'll marry you. I would love nothing more than to let the world know that you, wonderful, brilliant, amazing you, are going to spend the rest of your life with me. I love you, you know that'

'I know.'

They were silent for a few minutes, silly smiles mirrored on their faces.

'You do know this means you'll be Parker's step-mom.'

She nodded slowly basking in her new-found happiness.

'I'm strangley ok with that.'

He grinned again.

'I love you.'

She laughed.

'You said that already.'

'And I'll keep saying it everyday for the rest of our lives.'

Brennan smiled and they kissed again, before she broke off suddenly, her eyes deadly serious.

'I just have one condition about getting married...'

Booth raised an eyebrow.

'Yes?'

'Can we please have an outdoor wedding, I've had enough of churches to last a lifetime.'

At the mischievous glint in her eyes Booth couldn't help but laugh and pull her to his side.

'I think we can manage that.'

* * *

Hours later, when the party was long over and Jeffersonian patrons had declared the day a complete success, two lone figures remained, curled together under the bow of a cherry blossom tree. Parker had departed just half an hour previously, jumping at the chance to spend time with Cam and Toby, and Booth and Brennan would not have to pick him up for a couple of hours. Many of the party guests had also left some time ago leaving the the pair isolated in the Jeffersonian garden.

'We've been through a lot this past year. Who'd have thought eighteen months ago that we'd be together let alone engaged?'

Booth smiled and stroked Brennans hair as she dozed in his lap.

'I think I kind of always knew we'd get together.'

She smiled up at him.

'Really?'

'Yeah well everyone told us we would.'

She laughed softly and he knew he would never get sick of that sound.

'It hasn't always been easy though has it?'

'No but, well, that's us isn't it. We never do anything the easy way, and anyway, it was worth it.'

She sighed gently, a smile still dancing across her lips

'Well I think from now on we should maybe try the easy way...at least some of the time.'

He chuckled and bent to kiss her.

'Ok...just some of the time.'

Her eyes suddenly darkened, turning serious again.

'Do you think it'll be OK, our future I mean?'

He nodded and kissed the crown of her head, a easy smile gracing his lips, something he suspected would become a permanent fixture if, no when, he married her.

'I think we'll be just fine, after-all 'amor vincit omnia''

She smiled gently, rolling her eyes at him attempting to show off with his Latin knowledge as she settled into his chest and together they watched from their secluded spot as other party guests, reluctant to leave, enjoyed their final moments of fun in the dying hours of sunlight. She laid a hand across the stomach where she was as of yet unaware new life resided. They would be happy, joyous with or without a baby but one thing was for sure, time would prove Temperance Brennan to be a great mother, just as Zach had suspected and Seeley Booth would be an ever-dutiful and loving husband.

As the sunlight finally faded into a glorious sunset Brennan snuggled closer to her fiance. She had wanted to scoff at Booth and his romantic ideals, to question how he could believe so unequivocally that they would be OK but she didn't. She was content in her new-found knowledge that he was probably right. After all if past events had taught her anything it was that his Latin sentiment was almost certainly true. Love really does conquer all.

* * *

**_finis_**


End file.
